Shards Collide
by Cordis
Summary: An alternate Final Fantasy 7 fanfic. Yeah I know... another one. Anyway, in this one, it mainly focuses around four characters. Cloud and Zack both start off as mercinaries. The rest is slightly changed but for the most part true to form. At least for now
1. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft. I own none of it. This fanfic is for fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I don't make any money from it. 

This is a Final Fantasy 7 Alternate fanfic. In this story Cloud and Zack are both Mercenaries. However the timeline is also changed sorta. Zack and Cloud are both Scavengers with tragic pasts willing to sell their swords for money. Tifa is still a member of Avalanche and Aeris is a wandering spirit constantly running from her pursuers. If you're interested, Please read. If you hated it then let me know and I'll either try to make it better or take it off completely. Thanks for reading. 

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SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 1

The storm raged relentlessly over the town of Kalm. So much so that every citizen in the town stayed indoors. Clearly it was a day in which not even the sturdiest of men would dare venture out. Yet, amidst the onrush of wind and rain one lone figure traveled desperately into the town seeking solace. The local bar, as always, was the only place that would stay open amidst the havoc in the skies. The figure quickly made for the brightly lit, tavern as fast as humanly possible. 

The stranger was wearing a heavy brown cloak that covered head to toe. However, once inside, the unexpected visitor removed the hood revealing that it was indeed a female under those thick garments. 

Roughly pulling the hood away from her face, letting her brown hair fall about her shoulders, the woman looked around in confusion, noticing that all eyes where on here. This greatly unnerved her and so she quickly turned away and made for one of the few empty tables left in the slightly crowded establishment.

Seating herself in the farthest table possible, the woman folded her hands together, trying to warm herself up from the freezing rain, which previously assaulted her outside. A barmaid was soon by her side.

"Hello." The woman said in a mock – friendly voice. "Is there anything I can get for you this evening?"

The woman noticed the tension in the barmaid's voice and so she tried her best to sound civil when she replied. 

"Could I just get a warm cup of soup please?" 

The barmaid nodded her head and began to walk off.

"I- I'm really sorry to trouble you like this." The Woman added in, timidly. "There was just no other place to go."

The barmaid regarded the woman strangely for a while then smiled softly. "It's no problem at all. Don't worry about it. Everyone's just shocked that someone was actually walking out in that raging storm outside. They're probably thinking that either you're one extremely brave woman or just some unfortunate soul unlucky enough to be punished with this horrid weather."

The woman seemed more at ease after that and smiled slightly. "Thank you." She said quietly.

The barmaid nodded crisply. "My name's Jessie. I'll have your soup out in no time at all." With that she was off.

The woman let out a soft sigh and lowered her head to the table in exhaustion. 

"Hiya toots." 

The woman cringed as she noticed the voice was right up to her ear. She shot her head from the comforting pillow of her arms and stared wide eyed at the man who was now sitting two inches from her face. 

"C- can I help you?" The woman asked in a shaky voice. 

"Yeah. You must'a been pretty brave to be face'n dat storm outside all by your lonesome. So tell me toots, what business do ya got hanging out in weather dat bad?"

The woman was now becoming extremely nervous. "I'm ju – just a traveler. I don't really have much of a story. I just came here because this was the closest town in sight." 

Inwardly, the woman was slightly proud of herself. At least that wasn't a total lie she told him. 

"I don't believe you toots." The man roughly grabbed her wrist. "Now I want the truth. Why was you wanderin outside in dat storm? You got to be one of dem people everybody's talking about!"

The woman began shaking and she quickly got up from her seat. Suddenly, she wanted to be very far away from this man. "I'm a- afraid I d- don't know what you're talking about sir."

"Didn't I just tell you not to lie to me!" The thug seethed, shaking her roughly to emphasis he meant business. "You're one of dem aint ya's? One of dem what-cha-ma-call-its! SOLDIERS! Special freaks that them Shinra's got working for em."

"No! You've got it all wrong! I'm not!"

The thug roughly shook her again. "Didn't I just tell you not to lie to me?" He raised his had preparing to strike the woman. "You can't fool me! I'll expose you for the fake you are!" The Thug was just about to strike when-

"Billy! Stop that right now! Just what in the hell do you think you're doing! Let go of my customer right now!"

Billy glared at Jessie as she approached them. "Stay out of this Jessie. This don't involve you. Let me do what I gotta do or you're gonna get hurt!"

Jessie continued to walk towards them, unheeded by the burly man's threats. "Billy either you stop right now or I'll have no choice but to have to ask you to leave. And even you wouldn't want to put up with the thunderstorm outside."

In response, Billy suddenly pulled his hand away from the woman and roughly shoved Jessie into one of the nearby tables. "I warned ya Jessie." 

The woman let out a sharp gasp as she saw her barmaid friend tumble onto the floor, knocking over several chairs in the process. 

"Jessie!"

The thug swung back around and gripped the woman's shoulders roughly. "Now, as for you toots. You ain't goin nowhere! Not until you answer my questions!"

"Let go of me!"

"Shut up!" The man raised his hand preparing the strike her but at the last minute she pulled out of the way and bumped into somebody else. 

"Excuse me." She said, absent mindedly as she tried to scurry further away from her attacker. The man she bumped into didn't move at all. He simply stood there staring at her. The woman caught his eyes and stared back at him in return. He was, by no means, bad to look at. He had a mess of spiky blond hair and deep blue eyes. Like her, he also wore a cloak but his was a dark, onyx color instead of her brown colored one. The woman realized that she was staring at him and quickly cast her eyes downward. 

"I- I'm sorry" she muttered timidly.

The man did not reply. He regarded her for a few more moments then trained his eyes on the man who was assaulting her. 

Billy saw the blond man staring at him and became angry. "What are you looking at? You gonna get out of the way or do I have to rough you up too?"

This drew the attention of yet another cloaked man. This man was standing a few feet away from the blond man and he wore a similar onyx colored cloak. However, the woman noticed that his appearance was different. Although the two looked similar enough to be siblings, this new man had a main of Black spiky hair instead of blond. And they were accompanied by a set of dark brown, eyes. Unlike the blond, this man's spiky hair was longer and came down his back with a few vacant strands falling over his eyes. There was no denying, he too was very handsome looking. However, he didn't have the same serious tone in his eyes that the blond did. Given, there was something of a dangerous glint there but he seemed to have more of a free spirited demeanor then the other man. 

The black haired man walked over to the blond and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey Cloud, if you're gonna do this then try not to make as much of a mess as you did last time ok?"

The woman gaped in shock. "Last time…?"

The black haired man looked over towards her, as if for the first time, and shot her a quick wink. "It's a long story. Don't worry about it."

The woman sighed in exasperation. _'This guy must be one of those ladies man types.' _

Billy slammed the table in fury. "Are you looking for a fight you blond haired punk?"

Cloud shrugged lightly and gave a faint smile. "If that's the way you want it then fine. Cause I'll tell you this right now, it sickens me to see men attacking women. If you so much a lay a hand on her, I'll beat the living $hit out of you. Is that understood?"

A couple people in the background chuckled. After only a few moments, they had attracted a fairly big crowd. Feeling as if his pride were on the line, the man scrounged up his face in anger and charged at Cloud. "Why you!"

He swung wildly and Cloud easily ducked up under the blow. In the blink of an eye, Cloud rose back up with a powerful upper cut to the face. Then he linked it together with a follow up round house kick across the jaw. The man fell flat on the ground, completely out cold. 

Apparently he had friends, because in no time a group of thugs emerged amidst the crowd and came charging in towards Cloud. Cloud smirked and met the challenge as the men flanked his position. They all struck at once. Cloud easily bobbed and weaved through all their attacks. 

While the fighting was going on, the woman watched in horror, fearful for the safety of her blond haired protector. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Black haired main leaning back against the counter watching the scene of destruction with an amused smile on his face. The woman furiously turned towards him.   


"Are you just going to sit there? That's your friend right? Why aren't you helping him?"

This only seemed to amuse the man more and much to the woman's discomfort he chuckled softly. "Cloud's not the one that needs the help here miss. Just relax and enjoy the show."

The woman glared at him skeptically for a few moments the slowly followed suit. 

It was as the black haired man said. Cloud easily dodged all of their attacks. One man came in with a right hook. Cloud swung left then brought his leg in for a hard roundhouse kick. The man slammed into the side of the wall and fell out. Immediately after, three other men came in to take his place. Cloud defeated them just as easily. One got a swift kick to the gut. Another received a hard upper cut. And the last one earned a few jabs to the chest and a swift kick to the face for good measure. Within a matter of minutes, they were all laid out on the floor, either unconscious or in too much pain to get back up. Jessie just looked on in mortification as she surveyed the damage done two her bar. The brawl had destroyed four tables and eight chairs, not to mention the cracks in the wall and the spilt beer lying around everywhere.

Cloud slouched over into a chair, exhausted from his recent fight. Just then, the burly man shot back up to his feet holding a dagger and charging towards Cloud. 

The woman was horrified. "Cloud look out!" She screamed.

At the last second, Cloud turned around and saw his attacker. It was too late for him to do anything but watch as the man closed the distance. 

Suddenly, their was a bright flash of silver and all of a sudden, the man's dagger was lying on the floor, broken in two halves. The burly man gulped as he found a huge, double handed broad sword positioned at his throat. 

The woman blinked rapidly, trying to figure out what just happened. Two seconds ago, the black haired man was leaning casually next to her with amusement dancing in his eyes. Now he was standing directly in front of the attacker with a huge broadsword in his hands. The look in his eyes was terrifying. There was so much cold emotion there, it was hard for the woman to believe that only a few seconds ago he was the same man who had such a cheery expression on his face. 

The black haired man slowly pressed the blade up to the thug's throat, causing the man to sweat profusely. "Now correct me if I'm wrong." He said in an offhanded manner. "But I do believe that was a knife you were planning to use on my partner here. Now I'm all for good bloody fights and all that but that was just plain dirty."

The thug gulped again in response. The Black haired man pressed the sword further up to the man's throat. A dangerous smile played on his lips. "That was a very bad thing you did." He said softly. "Now I want you to apologize to my good old friend Cloud here. Cause otherwise I'm going to have to cut you. Now I don't think either of us want's that, am I right?"

The man nodded slowly.

"Good. Now what is the magic word?"

"I'm s-sorry." The man said, now sweating even more profusely.

"That's a good boy. Now that wasn't so hard was it?"

The man shook his head as far as he could. 

The black haired man smile cheekily then with the swiftness of the wind he pulled his sword away from the man's throat and rammed the hilt into his gut. The thug promptly keeled over and fell to the floor, unconscious yet again.

The black haired man turned to Cloud good-naturedly and held his hand out. "You ok partner?"

Cloud reluctantly took his hand and rose up to his feet. "Yeah I'm ok… Thanks for the save Zack. I guess I still have a lot to learn about the art of fighting huh?"

Zack chuckled as a response and patted Cloud's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. We live and learn right? You're just lucky I was there to watch your back!"

"Yeah." Cloud muttered. "I owe you one."

"Uhh excuse me?" the woman interrupted timidly. 

Both men trained their eyes on the woman who had been the object of the whole conflict from the beginning. 

"What can we do for you beautiful?" Zack asked with a smile on his face.

The woman blushed slightly. "Well… how did you learn to fight like that? I've never seen anyone fight the way he did" she said, pointing towards Cloud. "And I've never seen anyone move as fast as you. Did you both have special training or something?"

Cloud narrowed his eyes and grumbled something inarticulate while Zack simply laughed merrily. "Us? Special training? Hell no! We're just Mercenaries with a lot of experience under our belts."

The woman's eyes glittered with interest. "Really? You're both mercenaries? Wow! I've never met mercenaries before!"

"Well now you have" Cloud replied bluntly. He then turned and gripped Zack's shoulder tightly. "We'd better get out of here Zack. We don't want to cause any more trouble then we already have."

Zack looked around at the mess that had been made in the previously clean establishment and nodded his head enthusiastically. "Yeah you're right Cloud." He sheathed his broadsword into the hilt that was strapped to his back then turned and walked towards Jessie who was still in shock over the mess the two mercenaries had created in the bar. 

"Here." Zack said, tossing her a bag of gil. "This should take care of the damages. Sorry about the ruckus. No worries right?" 

Jessie mutely looked at all the gil Zack had given her then back up at him and nodded her head slowly.

"Good" Zack then turned around facing the woman once again. "As for you, this really isn't the type of scene you should be hanging out in. Why don't you stick around with us until the rain lets up?"

The woman was shocked beyond belief. "You really mean that?" She asked in bewilderment.

"Sure!" Zack smiled. Cloud simply cupped his face in his hands in exasperation. 

"Zack do you know what you're doing? We're running low on gil as it is. And you're suggesting we divide it even further by adding a third member to our party?"

Zack dismissed Cloud's comment with a wave of his hand. "Ahh don't worry about it Cloud. We'll find another job opportunity soon. Then we'll be raking in some decent gil again. Besides, this lady strikes me as the type who has a streak of good luck about her. We stick with her and we'll be rolling in the dough!"

Cloud let out an annoyed sigh. "Fine! Whatever but she just better not slow us down."

Zack ignored the comment and turned towards the woman once more. "Well lets get going eh? By the way what's your name?"

The woman smile brightly. "It's Aeris. Aeris Gainsbourough."

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:::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::::

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Authors note: Thanks for reading. Please stay tuned for the next chapter.

-_Cordis_


	2. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy 7 is the rightful property of Squaresoft and other involved companies. I do not own it. This is purely a fanfic for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it.

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SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 2

The inn was not located very far from the bar. Thus Zack, Cloud and Aeris did not have far to travel. Once there, Zack burst through the doors marching straight into the center of the room, scanning his surroundings. 

The place was fairly small for an inn but since it was the only one in the town it would have to serve their purposes. Zack walked up to the desk clerk leaving Aeris and Cloud standing in the background. Even after being in the rain for only a few moments, the group was completely drenched. However, apparently Zack was totally oblivious to that fact as he left a water trail in his wake.

"M- may I help you?" The clerk asked, slightly intimidated by Zack's entrance. The man was extremely skinny with a bony, elongated head and dark brown hair matching his eyes. 

Zack flashed the man a friendly smile and leaned on the counter. "Hi there buddy! I need a room for me and my two friends over there. Got any available?"

The clerk swallowed nervously then replied in a shaky voice. "W- well we're kind of packed today sir. What with the storm and all."

Zack frowned for a moment. "Well what do you have? You gotta have 'some' rooms left."

The clerk clenched his shaking hands and began to grow even more nervous. "I'm sorry sir we really don't have any other rooms available."

Zack looked down in disappointment. "Ahh come on man! You guys gotta have at least 'one' room left to rent out! We've been out in the rain and we could really use a nice warm place to sleep." Unconsciously, Zack was becoming more urgent and persistent. This had the desired effect on the frightened clerk and drove him to act in the group's best interests. 

"Well…" the clerk began. 

At the hint of another possible opportunity, Zack lit up like a christmas tree. "Well what?"

The clerk began to absently tug at his shirt collar. "We do have 'one' room left. But I don't know if you would find it suitable to your needs."

Zack ignored the warning and urged on. "You never know until you try right? Is it big enough to accommodate the three of us?"

"Well… yes but…"

"Fine then! It's settled! We'll take it!"

"But sir…It's located in the attic."

Zack was unheeded. "Even better! So how much do we owe you for one night?"

By this time, the clerk was totally unnerved by Zack's behavior. "W-well sir since you 'are' staying in an unregistered room you can stay the night for free."

Zack brightened. "Really? Wow thanks buddy! You're a really cool guy, ya know that?"

The poor man simply nodded stiffly then exited the counter in a rush. Zack looked after him, blinking rapidly. Dismissing the clerk's behavior, he turned back to face a slightly grinning Cloud and a giggling Aeris. 

"That was great!" Zack exclaimed, not yet noticing his friend's expressions. "That guy just gave us the room for free! Wow, I wonder what compelled him to be so nice to us…"

Aeris could hardly suppress her laughter now. "Your muscles may have had something to do with it." She said in between laughs. 

Zack looked on with a confused expression on his face. "Huh? Uhh… what's so funny?" He asked suspiciously. 

"Nothing…" Cloud said, clearing his throat. "Nothing at all. All in all I'd say the odds are working in our favor. This way we won't have to put any drain on our dwindling supply of gil."

"Right!" Zack nodded enthusiastically. "Hey why don't you two head up to the room and make sure everything checks out and all that."

Cloud gave Zack a quizzical look. "And what about you? Just where do you intend to go?"

Zack smiled mirthfully and rubbed his stomach vigorously. "We need grub right? I'm gonna go see If I can find us something to eat for the night. Don't worry, I'll be back in a flash."

"Zack! Wait we have to-"

Before Cloud could finish his sentence, the dark haired mercenary was already gone. Cloud clinched his fists in anger and annoyance. "He never listens to what I have to say." He grumbled under his breath. 

Aeris giggled at the antics of the two mercenaries. It was amazing to her how quickly they could change their attitudes. One minute they were dead serious and ruthlessly beating up thugs, and the next they were debating over expenses and food. "You two must be very close friends." Aeris assumed. 

Cloud broke out of his angry fit and stared at Aeris with wide eyes. "What makes you say that?"

"Well… you two seemed to have that kind of connection where you can berate each other and at the same time still not care enough to feel any real offense by it."

Cloud grit his teeth at the absurd idea that rang painfully true in his ears. "Whatever!" He seethed. "In any case, we better get up to our room and check the place out before Zack gets back. Knowing him, he'll have a truck load of food for us."

Aeris eyes lit up. "That would be great! I haven't eaten all day! I'm starving!"

Cloud hissed a sigh of annoyance in response. "The guy wastes too much money. If it were all up to him, we wouldn't have any money at all right now."

Aeris smiled at him politely. "Sometimes you just gotta let the chips fall where they may."

Cloud didn't reply. He simply marched up the stairs. 

"Uhh Cloud?"

"Now what?"

"Umm do you know where the room is?"

Cloud smacked his hand over his forehead for being so absent minded. Without a word, he quickly walked back down the stairs and straight to the clerk's desk. No one was there so he violently rang the bell. Almost immediately, the same clerk who served them before came right back out. He noticed the man had a slightly relieved expression on his face when he noticed Zack was no longer in their group.

"Can I help you sir?" the man asked.

"Where is our room located?" Cloud asked bluntly. He wasn't one for formalities. If ever Cloud was serious about something, he would be as direct about it as humanly possible.

"Yeah. Head up to the ninth floor, make a right, walk all the way to the end of the hall. Once you get there you'll see a ladder leading to a closed off floorboard. Beyond that floorboard is your room."

Cloud grimaced slightly. "And may I ask when you were going to give us our keys to that 'closed off' room?"

The poor clerk gulped visibly, realizing his mistake. "I- I guess I forgot about that. I'm terribly sorry sir."

The man quickly scampered off into another room only to emerge a few moments later with a set of keys in his hands. "These should be the one's you need. Here you are."

Cloud accepted the keys but still eyed the man wearily. If there was anything Cloud detested most, it was cowards who couldn't control their fear enough to do their jobs. Without another word, Cloud turned his back to the man and walked over towards the elevator. Aeris silently followed with a bright smile on her face. For some reason Cloud intrigued her and she anxiously wanted to find out more about him.

Cloud jammed his thumb on the up button for the elevator and closed his eyes in a meditative sort of way. Aeris silently watched him for a few moments but became agitated after a while. 

__

'Is he like this all the time?' She wondered to herself. Finally making up her mind, she tapped him on the shoulder.

"What?" He asked in a stiff, cold tone of voice.

"Cloud can I ask you a question?" Aeris inquired politely.

"You already are." Came his cold reply.

"Well… why are you always so cold? Did something happen to you to make you so angry towards everyone else all the time?"

Clouds eye's suddenly snapped open. He regarded her wearily. Aeris breath caught in her throat. _'Why is he staring at me like that?' _She pondered, feeling a slight tug of discomfort.

"W-what is it?" She asked in a low voice. Cloud didn't answer but continued to stare at her with those blue penetrating eyes. Much to Aeris relief the, the sound of the elevator ring broke Cloud from his trance. Once the doors opened he slowly walked in, carefully keeping his eyes low. 

Aeris couldn't figure out what she had said to trigger such a reaction from the young Merc. Aeris folded her hands behind her back as the doors closed and the elevator began to rise. An uncomfortable silence rose up between them causing Aeris to become more and more nervous. Finally, not knowing what else to do, she tried speaking to him again. 

"Cloud… I'm sorry if I said anything to offend you. I… I guess I was just curious."

"Don't be." Cloud said plainly, not bothering to raise his lowered eyes to look at her. 

The elevator doors opened, and Cloud promptly walked out heading towards the end of the hall. Aeris was close on his heels. "Cloud I just want to get to know you guys better. If it's that personal I won't pry anymore."

Cloud didn't reply. Aeris spirits began to dwindle. _'Why is he so cruel?'_ She wondered with sadness etched on her face. Cloud noticed her dismayed expression and suddenly felt sympathy for the strange young lady. They reached the ladder and Cloud's hand froze on the side. He turned his gaze back to Aeris who was right behind him. Aeris was shocked that he was all of a sudden staring at her. She was beginning to feel self-conscious and began to nervously fiddle with the ends of her long brown hair. Cloud marveled at her innocent beauty and grace. Finally he closed his eyes as if warding off bad thoughts and resumed his climb up the ladder. Climbing to the top he unlocked the floorboard and opened it. He quickly jumped up into the new area and began looking around while Aeris was still trying her best to climb into the room without slipping on one of the ladder bars. Cloud saw her plight, walked over to her and offered his hand in a gesture of kindness.

Aeris vigorously accepted the help and was soon, safely into the room. 

"Thanks. Now that's two I owe you."

"Two?" Cloud regarded her with a confused expression.

"Yeah, the first was when you saved my life back in the bar and then just now. See? Two." She was beaming when she saw that his face was slightly turning red. 

"Don't worry about it." He replied absently. 

"Wow!" Aeris stood up and took in the full view of their room. "This place is huge! I wonder why they never rent it out to any of the other customers."

Cloud smiled faintly. "Because none of the other customers have swords or muscles as big as Zack's. 

Aeris eyes widened and she suddenly burst out laughing. "Heeeey! You just made a joke! Way to go Cloud!"

Cloud gave her a strange look. "What? Do you think I'm just some unfeeling, inhuman, fighting machine or something?"

Aeris tried to suppress her giggles. _'Bingo, hit the nail right on the coffin!'_ She thought silently but kept it to herself. "Well no… It's just that… your always acting so serious all the time. I didn't think you could crack a joke if your life depended on it."

Cloud huffed in indignation. "Well thanks a lot for the compliment."

However, this only triggered another giggle from Aeris. Cloud watched her for a moment then found himself being caught up in a fit of laughter. Before long, the two of them were rolling on the floor gasping for air. 

Cloud fell back on a nearby bed covered in dust. He sighed heavily, every once in a while another laugh would creep up on him. "I haven't laughed that hard in a long time." He said pleasantly.

Aeris rose to her feet and sat on another bed not too far from the one Cloud was sitting on. She brushed her hands across the furnished surface, clearing the dust away before she sat down on it. "Really? Maybe you should get out more often then?"

"That's not it… Maybe you have a gift to bring out the laughter in others?"

Aeris blushed pleasantly but said nothing. 

Cloud sat back in his bed, folding his arms around the back of his head. "…I'm sorry I was so cruel to you back there… I guess I'm really not that comfortable around strangers. It's just that it's so hard to trust people now a days. To be quite honest with you, I didn't know what to make of you at first. And Zack is waaay too trusting of other people. I wouldn't be surprised if he befriended a mass murderer."

"But that's what you admire about him isn't it?" Aeris was now looking at Cloud with an understanding expression. 

Cloud looked back at her blinking his eyes several times. "How… how did you… I mean no that's not it. What makes you think I admire Zack?"

Aeris giggled again and wagged her index finger at him. "Ah ah ah. No lies Cloud. I can tell you admired him way back from when you two were fighting in the bar. The way he handled that last thug impressed you greatly. I could tell. I saw it in your eyes."

Cloud gave her a sarcastic look. "I take it you've got me all figured out then huh?"

"Not quite. There's still a lot I don't know about you. Maybe one day you could tell me more about yourself… and your past too…maybe..."

Cloud sighed heavily. The serious expression returned to his face once again. "So you want to know about my past huh?"

Aeris nodded quickly, trying not to seem to eager. At the sight of her giddiness, Cloud had to hold in his laughter. She looked like the exact image of a schoolgirl getting ready to gossip about a big juicy secret. Cloud closed his eyes once again and laid his head back on the soft pillows. "Ok then. I guess I'll tell you. It all happened about 8 years ago. Back in my hometown in Nibleheim there was a special Shinra unit being shipped out to do some work on the Mako reactor located in the mountains west of our town. The Squad consisted of two Shinra soldiers, Two SOLDIER's and Sephiroth."

Aeris was shocked. "Sephiroth? You mean the same Sephiroth who practically single handedly won the war with Wutai?"

Cloud nodded his head. "The very same."

"What was he doing taking care of such a simple matter as fixing a Mako reactor?"

"That's still a mystery to me. All I know is that he's going to pay for what he did!"

"What he did?"

"The day after their arrival, He and his Squad set out to investigate the Mako reactor. Sephiroth came back acting kind of weird. He locked himself up in the Shinra mansion for days. Then when he finally did come out, he attacked the village and killed everyone there. He even killed-" Cloud stopped abruptly, too emotional to continue.

"Killed who?" Aeris urged gently. 

Cloud took a deep breath and began again. "The bastard killed my mother and after that, Killed Tifa right in front of my very own eyes!" He clinched his hands into fists and he curled up into a ball as tears began seeping from his face.

Aeris walked over to him silently and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so sorry." She said softly. 

Cloud continued his tale, heedless of her closeness to him. "Tifa… Tifa was someone very close to me. We were best friends. Ironically enough, I would always tell her I was going to travel off to join SOLDIER and make her proud of me. I told her I was going to be like that bastard Sephiroth."

Aeris didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say exactly. She had no idea his tale was so tragic. 

"The most troubling thing was that I was actually going to go and join them at one point. What stopped me was that at the last minute my mother grew ill and I was forced to take care of her. You see my father died when I was very young with only my mother to look after me. She was my only family. She was all I had left, I had no choice in the end. And that bastard Sephiroth took it all away from me! In one day he took away my life, my family, my town, and my best friend… I was able to confront him in the Nibleheim reactors."

Aeris gasped and Cloud was silent for a moment before continuing. "We fought a bit and he easily defeated me. But I ended up getting the last laugh. Out of pure luck, I was able to catch him off guard and shove him over the side of the catwalk. Soon after, the whole place went up in flames. To this very day, I have no idea how I survived but I did. It was Zack who eventually found my trapped in rubble and treated my injuries. Since then, we've been partners, watching each other's backs."

Aeris looked into Cloud's eyes. "You two must be really close then."

Cloud shrugged. "I guess so. After a while it just seemed normal to be hanging around with Zack. He was an excellent fighter. After telling him about my run in with Sephiroth I guess I impressed him. He taught me how to fight and defend myself. I owe him a lot actually. He taught me to keep moving when I thought there was nothing left to live for."

Aeris nodded slowly. "He sounds like a great guy."

"Yeah, I was lucky to find a friend like him."

Aeris face was dangerously close to Cloud's now. Neither one really noticed, both lost in the void of the other's eyes. "You're a really great guy too Cloud." Aeris said softly. "I'm glad I met you…"

"Same here…" Cloud muttered, lost in the pools of her bright green eyes. Their lips were just inches away from each other's. Cloud could feel Aeris's heart pumping rapidly against his and he was sure she could feel the same with him.

Suddenly the door flipped open bringing them both to reality. Aeris and Cloud immediately jumped away from each other in shock and slight confusion as Zack began pushing tons of bags of groceries through the opening. 

"A little help here would be nice." They could hear him yell from under all the bags of food.

Cloud smirked lightly. "Do it yourself 'Mr. Strong'. Serves you right for buying so much." 

Aeris giggled wildly as Zack's voice became more horse with anger. "Shut the hell up and get your ass over here and help me Strife!"

Cloud laughed and stood up to help the young black haired mercenary. However once he got to the opening Zack shoved the whole load in his face. Aeris could barley hold back the giggles that seized her as she watched the two men fall into another fit of arguing. For the fist time in a long time Aeris felt truly happy and content with her life.

:::::::::To Be Continued:::::::::::

Authors note: Thanks for reading. Please stay tuned for the next chapter!


	3. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it.

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 3

Zack vigorously tore open the bag full of groceries. Cloud watched on with mild interest as the black haired mercenary continued to rummage through all the goods he had bought. 

In no time at all, Zack had accumulated a gigantic pile of food and he still wasn't done unpacking it all. Cloud felt his anger begin to rise with every second. 

"Zack…" Cloud said in a penetrating voice. "Exactly how much gil did you spend on all of this?"

Zack raised his head from his task and smiled at Cloud sheepishly. "Oh, uhh heh heh heh well I really didn't have to spend that much buddy. You see, it was kinda funny but all the shops were closed except one. So I entered the shop only to find that the owner was close friends with my father. Apparently he recognized me so he told me about how he met my old man and all that and then he just said to grab as much as I wanted and that it was on the house."

When Zacked stopped recounting his tale he noticed that both Aeris and Cloud stared wide-eyed at him. "You mean… you mean he let you take all of this?" Cloud asked, pointing towards the big pile of groceries on the floor.

"Well… Yeah."

Aeris frowned in disapproval. "Why Zack, I can't believe you! You should know better then to take advantage of someone else's kindness! Now you return some of this food right now!"

Zack gave Aeris a confused look. "What are ya talking about? The old man insisted I take no less then all of this."

Once again, Aeris and Cloud found themselves speechless. Zack continued. 

"If I were to return this stuff now, it would hurt the old man's feelings. Out of respect for my family name, I couldn't do such a thing."

Cloud was utterly and completely flabbergasted. "Zack… You have gotta be the luckiest guy on the planet. I don't know how you pull off all these stunts. You must have a gift with working on people's kindness."

Zack shrugged disinterestedly at the comment and resumed his infiltration of the groceries. "Yeah, yeah whatever Cloud. You can praise my 'noble standing' later. Right now, let's just eat!"

Aeris let out a short laugh. "You can say that again."

Cloud let a soft sigh escape his lips then he too plunged in to eat what he could. 

****

__

Half an hour later:

Zack rubbed his stomach heartily. "Man that was a great meal!" he said appreciatively. 

"Yeah it was a pretty good dinner." Cloud agreed. "We should have Zack get us food every night!"

Zack let out a short laugh at that. "Oh? So that's how it is huh? You two get me out of the way so you can both have some time alone, is that it? Ahh now I see your plan!"

Zack threw back his head and laughed, not noticing the slightly nervous looks that Cloud and Aeris suddenly wore on their faces. Once he noticed he was the only one laughing Zack slowly lowered his head then looked from one face to the other. 

"Wait a minute… So you two really were-"

"NO!" Cloud said, cutting his friend off before he could complete his statement. "We're not having some secret love affair behind your back. Right Aeris?"

"Right!" Aeris replied and gave a weak laugh. 

Zack screwed his face up into a frown but said nothing. He closed his eyes and slowly rose to his feet. "Well that's enough for me. You two are acting too weird for me."

Cloud half-rose from his sitting position and reached out towards his partner. "Hey wait, were are you going all of a sudden?"

Zack gave Cloud a beaming smiled. "Just going for a walk to work off some of that food. It'll do my body good. Anyway don't wait up. Don't worry, I'll be back in a few hours."

Cloud didn't know what to say. This was totally unlike Zack to suddenly take an interest in walking after eating a hearty meal. However, the look Zack gave him was one of those, 'Just trust me' looks. That was the one think Zack could have done to persuade cloud to finally shut up and not bother asking any more questions. Over the years the two men had been together, they had developed a close sense of trust and dedication to each other that nothing could break. If Zack told Cloud to trust him then that was what Cloud would do, no matter what the situation was. Thus Cloud eased back down into a sitting position letting his best friend and partner walk off, out of the room.

"Uhh… Cloud?" Cloud suddenly snapped out of his reverie noticing that Aeris was talking to him. 

"Yes? I'm sorry, what did you need Aeris?"

Aeris seemed hesitant about what she was going to say next. She clenched her hands into balls and took a deep breath. "W-what were we doing?"

Cloud looked at her with a confused expression written all over his face. "Huh? We were eating. Why?"

"Not that! I mean before Zack showed up with the groceries. What… were we about to do?"

Cloud lowered his head. He too wasn't too sure what had brought on the sudden urge to want to kiss a woman he had only met a few hours earlier. "I...I don't know." He replied silently. 

Aeris glanced down as well, looking at her brown cloak lying beside her. "Me either. Maybe… maybe we should just pretend that never happened…?"

Cloud looked directly at her. There was something about this woman that made his heart want to melt but he just couldn't pin point it just yet. As he stared deeper into her eyes he felt that familiar urge to kiss her as if he were being sucked into her magnificent blue irises. He quickly tore his vision away and stared instead at his buster sword, lying on a table across the room. "Yeah." He replied gruffly. "Yeah I think that would be a good idea."

Aeris smiled lightly then stood up on her feet. "Well… It's getting pretty late. I guess we better get some sleep."

Cloud got up as well. "Yeah your absolutely right."

Aeris grew slightly nervous again. "In… separate beds, I mean."

Cloud let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, I know."

Cloud pulled back his dusty blankets and sank into the warm fabric of the bed. He promptly removed his shirt and tossed in onto the floor. He lay back languidly on his pillows then noticed that Aeris was watching him. 

"Uhh… um…goodnight Aeris." He said nervously.

Aeris face shot a beat red that Cloud had noticed her looking but she forced a smile and waved lightly. "Goodnight Cloud."

****

Zack hugged his cloak closely around him as he walked the streets of Kalm. The rain had died down tremendously leaving only a sprinkle behind. Zack basked in the freshness of the rain. Unbeknownst to anyone else, Zack truly loved the nature of all living things. It was the primary source that kept him going. Aside from fighting, Basking in the glory of nature was one of Zack's favorite past times. He slowly kneeled down on one knee examining the plant life located near the town fountain. He took a whiff of the sweet smelling rain and smiled with pleasure. 

__

'What would Cloud say if he saw me now.' He silently chuckled to himself as he thought of how his best friend would react to such a drastic change of character. _'Heh, Cloud would flip out.' _

Suddenly an idea occurred to him. Zack scanned the area wearily then slowly withdrew his huge buster sword. The sword was very valuable to Zack. It had been the first sword he had ever received and the only sword he ever intended to use. It had been given to him by his father before he died in Gongaga years ago. Zack quickly dismissed the painful memories of his past life and assumed a fighting stance. Zack loved to train. Fighting was his life. He had no idea where he would be without it. 

He started off slow, swinging down in a fluid motion then suddenly he arced 360 degrees and began swinging at all angles in a blur of blinding white light. His movements were so fast no human eye would be able to read all of them at once. Sweat began beading upon his forehead yet he ignored that minor annoyance and continued swinging meticulously. 

He then assumed his secret fighting technique. He had shown this to no other person but Cloud. He held his sword out vertically then leapt into the air with all of his might and brought the huge buster sword down hard, stopping just inches away from hitting the concrete. He quickly recovered his momentum and began hacking and slashing a thousand times. He was going 20 times faster then he originally was and his speed continued to increase with every strike until finally he jumped into the air once more holding his weapon above his head. Huge volts of energy began sizzling around his blade until all that anyone could see was a ball of bright light emanating from it. With all of his strength, Zack brought the huge weapon forth, once again stopping just inches away from the ground, only this time it was harder to control. He began to sweat profusely as he focused the orb of energy and kept it from rushing from his blade. Zack fell to one knee from the strain and slowly but surely the light dimmed and the sword was once again back to normal. 

Zack sank the rest of the way onto his hands and knees panting heavily from the exertion. _'At least I'm getting better at it.'_ Zack thought to himself proudly. 

Suddenly the sound of clapping could be heard in the distance. Zack's eyes narrowed dangerously and he quickly shot to his knees. _'Had someone been watching the whole time?' _He scanned the area wearily. Whoever it was had a lot of explaining to do.

He saw a figure in the shadows purposefully walking towards him. "Who's there?!" He yelled just loud enough for the figure to hear him. However, the figure did not reply but simply kept on walking until the shadows parted. Once the street lamps illuminated the figure's form, Zack realized he was staring at a very attractive woman. "Who are you?" He hissed dangerously. He rose back up to his feet, pushing his exertion to the back of his mind.

"My, aren't we strong?" the woman joked mildly. "You exert that much energy and yet you're still ready for a fight? Wow what a man!"

Zack tightened his grip on his Buster sword. "Just shut up and answer my question!"

The woman walked closer revealing that she had dark brown hair and sparkling brown eyes. Her figured was well defined, Zack could tell, even through the huge trench coat she was wearing. The woman smiled at his anxiety and held her hands up in a gesture of peace.

"I understand you're in no mood for guessing games so lets just get to the point shall we? I have information that you're a mercenary correct? And that another is traveling in the company with you?"

"Zack's eyes narrowed dangerously and he slowly inched closer to the woman, still keeping the same fighting stance. "And how would you know that?"

The woman laughed mirthfully. "Oh I have my ways, don't you worry about that. But here's something else for you to put on your mind. I am part of an organization that could use soldiers like you and your partner. After witnessing that display of skill you just preformed I'm more than convinced you would prove to be a valuable asset to our cause."

"What are you saying…?"

The woman took a small step closer and extended her hand out towards him. "What I'm saying is that we need mercenaries; desperately so. If you are interested meet me in Midgar sector 7 in three days."

Zack eyed her wearily. "How do I know I can trust you? How do I know your not just some common crook who's simply trying to acquire hired help so that they could take the fall for him in the end?"

The woman closed her eyes but the smile never left her beautiful face. "There is no way to disprove your claim until you actually meet our group. However, for right now, all I can give you is this."

The woman handed him a card which he eagerly snatched from her hand. Zack looked the card over then trained his eyes back on her. 

"AVALANCH? I've never heard of em." 

"I'm sure you haven't. We're a very secretive organization right now. When we do decide to finally go public it will be for the better interests of our goals."

Zack still regarded her wearily but she could tell the idea was already playing on his conscious.

"And of course we will reward you handsomely." She added. "How does 200,000 gil a mission sound?" 

Zack's eyes snapped wide. "200,000 gil?"

The woman already knew she got him. At least she hoped so. They could really use talent like his. For the sake of the planet. 

Zack's expression suddenly became jovial. "Well then, if I do decide to take you up on this 'special offer' then I'll see you in three days. But as for right now, I really should be getting back."

The woman nodded. "That's good enough for me."

Zack nodded in return then began to head back towards the inn but stopped after only a few steps. "By the way, I never caught your name."

"Tifa Lockheart."

:::::::::To Be Continued:::::::::::

Authors note: Thank you all for reading. Please stay tuned for the next Chapter!


	4. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places, and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of them. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it.

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 4

The door creaked open as Zack slowly made his way into the room. He was aching all over and was anxiously awaiting the comfort of his nice warm blankets and pillows. He deftly jumped up to the main floor and stealthily crept to the end of the room, trying not to awaken Cloud or Aeris in the process. As he made his way by, Zack noticed that Aeris and cloud were both sound asleep in separate beds. Zack vaguely wondered if Cloud got his hint when he decided to take off and leave them alone. After a moment, he dismissed the idea and continued to creep stealthily to the back of the room. 

Zack's jaw dropped in shock. Much to his misfortune, there were no other beds. "Damnit!" Zack seethed in a quiet voice. He slowly crept over to one of the shelves in the room, looking for blankets. He found none. Zack clinched his fists in anger but simply let out a defeated sigh and slowly walked back over to the far edge of the room. Taking off his mildly wet cloak, he placed it on the floor then settled himself on in comfortably. 

"Are you really going to sleep all the way over there on that wet pile of cloth?" Came a hushed voice from the other end of the room. Zack shot up like a bullet. "What the… Aeris? Sorry. Did I wake you up?"

Aeris laughed softly but waved her hand in dismissal. "Don't worry about it. I was already awake. I guess I just couldn't sleep. So much has happened in only a few hours you know?"

Zack nodded his head sagely. "Yeah I guess you could say that. Things have been rather drastic today haven't they?"

Aeris rose up out of her bed holding one of her blankets then set the blanket on the floor and sat next to Zack. "Yeah I guess you could say that." She was quiet for a moment signaling that something was troubling her. 

Zack gave a sly smile then leaned toward her in a conspiratorial way. "So, you got the hot's for Cloud huh?"

Aeris suddenly shot back, her face beaming a deep red hue. "…Uh… no that's not true,…I…"

Zack chuckled softly. "Heh, you don't have to lie to me Aeris. I can keep a secret ya know?"

After a moment, Aeris simply lowered her head in defeat. "I really don't know what I'm feeling exactly…I mean we only met a few hours ago. It's crazy that I would fall in love with someone in such a short time."

Zack leaned against the wall in thought. "Hmmm… love at first sight, perhaps?"

Aeris was quiet for a moment. "I don't know… maybe. It's just that every time I'm around him, I get this strange feeling and all of a sudden I want to be with him."

Zack tried his best to keep from laughing in amusement. "Aeris and Cloud sitting in a tree, K. I. S. S. I. N. G."

Aeris couldn't help but giggle at his childish behavior about the whole situation. "Oh shut up you! But seriously, I really don't know how to deal with these new emotions…"  


She then looked at Zack with a far off look in her eyes. "Have… have you ever been in love before? Do you have any idea what I'm going through right now?"

Zack stared at her for a moment, an unusually serious expression on his face. He slowly raised his head and closed his eyes in thought. "You know, I've never thought about it before. I mean sure I've dated lots of women and did my fair share of flirting… But to actually be in love with any of them… No I can't say that I have." He then turned his head towards Aeris. "I'm sorry but I don't think I would be any help in that particular area."

Aeris nodded slowly in understanding. A quiet silence passed between the two. Suddenly Aeris thought of something. "Hey Zack? What was it like when you met Cloud the first time?"

Zack gave her a quizzical look. "Huh? I'm not sure I know what you mean exactly."

"Well, when I talked with Cloud, he told me the two of you first met when you saved him from the wreckage in the mountains of Nibleheim."

"Oh! You mean that!" Zack stared up with a far off look in his eye's as if recalling something tragic."

"So… What was it like?" Aeris prompted.

Zack looked back towards her as if he were coming out of a daze. "Oh… sorry… Hmmm lets see… For one thing, it was a very emotional time. I mean Cloud was a wreck, physically, emotionally, and mentally. I was originally in the area because I was looking for work down that way. You see, I was a mercenary at that time too. Only thing was, I was still fairly inexperienced. I had only been hired twice and I was seriously hoping things would look up for me once I reached Nibleheim. I guess life has a funny way of turning out huh? Anyway, I saw the big fire and rushed towards the town as fast as I could. Everything was a wreck. I couldn't find any survivors. It was terrible. So, not knowing what else to do, I followed the blood trail up to the Mako reactors. That's where I found Cloud. The whole area was on fire and a beam was just getting ready to fall on him. Luckily I was fast enough to drag him out of there before the whole place collapsed. It was terrible. There were many times when I didn't even think he was going to make it. He had all kinds of deep gashes and cuts. One wound traveled straight through his abdomen. I used as many healing spells as I could but still, he was way too injured for them to be of any real use."

Aeris was now deeply engrossed in his story. "So how did you manage to save him?"

"That's just the thing! I don't think I had any real influence on how her survived. I did the best I could, given the situation. It was pretty obvious he couldn't be moved so I just tried my best to heal him just 5 miles west of the reactor. After the third day I was exhausted. During those days I would use healing spells nonstop. I was spent. Then one day I saw him sitting up looking around in a daze."

Aeris was shocked. "What?"

"Yeah I know. It kinda freaked me out too. I guess he has a strong sense of will power. Anyway he was still wounded pretty bad but the remaining injuries he had, I took care of easily. But that was the easy part. Even after full recovery the guy was a wreck. He had lost everything in that fire; his family, his friends,… his whole life. I did the best I could to help him through it all and I guess in the end it all must have worked. We became partners and soon got into the whole mercenary lifestyle together. I guess I really lucked out then. Don't tell him I said this but he's a really good friend."

Aeris had a wistful look in her eyes. "Yeah, he's special isn't he?"

Zack smiled slightly. "So are you, ya know? You may not have noticed but I saw the way Cloud was looking at you during the dinner. I'm sure he's feeling the same way about you as you are about him."

Aeris blushed. "You really think so?"

"I know so." Zack said, nodding his head purposefully. 

Aeris couldn't help the giddy feeling she was beginning to feel all of a sudden. She placed her hand on Zack's shoulder in friendship. "Thanks a lot for the talk Zack. You're a real friend."

Zack returned the gesture of friendship by patting Aeris on the back. "Any time you wanna talk just come my way." He said with a friendly smile. "And thanks a lot for the blanket." He added. "I was freezing my ass off trying to sleep on this ice cold cloak."

Aeris giggled heartily and walked over to her own bed. "Goodnight Zack. And thanks again."

"G'night." Zack lay back on his blankets staring blankly up at the wall. _'I guess I'll be playing matchmaker for a while.' _He thought to himself with an amused smile playing across his lips. Soon sleep began to claim him. The last thing that drifted through his mind was the offer that the young woman offered him earlier that night. _'AVALANCH huh? Might be fun…'_

:::::::::To Be Continued:::::::::

**__**

Author's note: Thanks for reading and thank you all for the great reviews. Please stay tuned for the next chapter.


	5. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of them. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it.

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 5

Cloud yawed exhaustedly as he stood in the main lobby of the inn. Aeris stood next to him, equally tired. Cloud glanced her way then scoffed in annoyance. It was beginning to be the start of a very annoying day. Cloud had awoken somewhere around noon only to find that he had slept in while both Aeris and Zack were apparently already awake and dressed. Aeris was the only other person in the room. Cloud had asked her where Zack had gone but she simply told him he said he was going to take care of some business and that they should wait for him in the lobby by 2:00pm. 

Again Cloud scoffed. _'Zack is so irresponsible! The least he could do is tell me where he's going before he just sets off and tells us to blindly wait for him.'_

Cloud turned to face Aeris. "Aeris, are you sure Zack didn't say anything else? Any hint at all regarding the location to where he was going this morning?"

Aeris raised her head in thought for a moment then turned back towards Cloud with an apologetic look in her eyes. "Nope. Sorry Cloud, all he told me was that he was going to run some errands. He didn't state what they were."

Cloud grumbled under his breath and looked at his watch. It was 2:15. "He's already 15 minutes late. I wonder what he's up to."

Suddenly, as if on cue to Cloud's comment, the doors to the inn opened and in walked Zack. His arms were full of traveling items; armor, potions, traveling foods, new weapons, etc. 

Cloud shot his partner a confused look. "What are you doing with all of that? Are you planning on heading out already? We never discussed this!"

Zack gave Cloud a sheepish look. "Uhh yeah sorry about that. It was one of those spur of the moment kinda things, ya know?"

Cloud gave Zack an angry look. "I told you already how low our funds were. What possible reason could you have for going out on a spending spree? Have you completely lost your mind?"

Zack brightened. "Actually I was meaning to talk to you about that. Our spending funds, I mean. I got a job offer last night. I was going to tell you about it when I got back but you were already asleep and I didn't want to wake you up."

Cloud eyed his partner wearily. "Job offer? Didn't we agree that we wouldn't accept any jobs unless the other was present so that we could discuss the proposition together?"

"Yeah, I remember but that's just it. I didn't accept. Last night I was training and some woman approached me telling me that she was looking for mercenaries. Apparently she's part of something big. She gave me this card talking about the name of the group but as far as I know, I've never heard of them."

Cloud took the card from Zack but said nothing. Zack took this as a sign to continue. 

"Well anyway, she told me if we were interested, to meet her in Midgar sector 7 in three days, which means we gotta leave now if we want to make it there in time."

Cloud's eyebrows rose rapidly at the mention of the location. "Midgar!? Zack you know how I feel about that area. That's the capital of Shinra. How do you know its not just some Shinra organization trying to hire mercenaries to weed out more civilian rebels?"

Zack shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess I don't really know, but I just got this feeling that we should take this job. Besides, she told me they'd offer us 200,000 gil per mission!"

"200,000 gil per mission!?" Cloud exclaimed in shock. "They must really be desperate for help if they're offering that much!"

"Yeah I know. But anyway, with that kinda gil pilling up, I think the job is at least something worth checking out don't you think?"

Cloud said nothing but nodded uncertainly.

Zack patted his partner on the shoulder reassuringly. "And besides, once we get there we'll ask what it's about. If it has anything to do with helping Shinra, we'll drop the whole thing immediately. How's that?"

Cloud shrugged. "Yeah I guess so. 200,000 gil per mission is a lot of money."

"Its too good an offer to pass up!" Zack encouraged. "Wouldn't you agree Aeris?"

The black haired mercenary turned towards the brunette woman only to notice she was extremely pale and staring at them with wide eyes.

"Aeris… are you ok?" Cloud asked in concern.

Aeris broke out of her trance and offered them an apologetic smile. "Oh I'm sorry. Umm yeah, 200,000 gil does sound like a lot of money."

Zack noticed the hesitation and uncertainty in her voice but said nothing as he slowly nodded his head. He mentally reminded himself to talk to her about it next time they had a chance to talk in private. But for now, Zack donned his famous grin and turned towards Cloud once more. "So it's settled then?" He asked hopefully.

Cloud nodded his head. "Yeah. We might as well get going now then, since you already bought all the supplies we'll be needing for the trip. Oh and by the way, were you able to catch the name of the woman who was the contact?"

Zack nodded vigorously. "Yep sure did! It was… uhh…hmmm…"

Cloud smacked his head in frustration. "Don't tell me… You forgot her name didn't you?"

Zack shot Cloud an offended look. "Hey cut me some slack ok? I was really tired from my workout when she approached me! Hmmm… Now let's see… I think it was… Tina! Yeah that's it! Tina Lionheart!" 

Cloud regarded his friend with an unconvinced expression. "Are you sure that's what she said her name was?" He asked tiredly. 

Zack nodded vigorously. "Yep!… I think so." 

Cloud let out a sigh. "Fine, whatever. Anyway lets just get going. We need every second we can get if we're going to make it there in time. Right Aeris?"

Aeris gave him a weak smile and nodded but he caught the distant look in her eyes. Cloud felt concern for the young woman but didn't say anything. If she didn't want to talk about it then he would respect her privacy. 

Zack tossed each of his companions one of the pouches he was carrying over his shoulder. "Here you go guys. You'll both need these if you plan on staying in tip top shape once we get out into the open road."

Cloud nodded and followed Zack as he exited the front door. Aeris lingered a bit longer, then hurried after them to catch up. One thought was constantly on her mind. _'Are they really planning on going to… Midgar.' _Aeris didn't want to go back to that hated city. There were too many bad memories there. 

Zack suddenly turned around and faced her. "Oh yeah, I didn't even notice. I'm sorry for making decisions without even asking you Aeris. I remember I told you we'd look after you until the rain stopped. Do you mind hanging out with us longer?"

Aeris was flustered. Unknowingly, Zack had presented her with the back door she needed to get away from going back to Midgar. She was about to reply when suddenly something occurred to her. She had nowhere else to go. She truly didn't want to leave them. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she belonged to something. For the first time, she was truly happy. Aeris made up her mind. If she was going to go to Midgar then so be it. At least when she returned there, she would have the support of these two mercenaries. Not like last time when she was all alone. Making up her mind, Aeris looked back at Zack with a happy smile on her face.

"I don't mind at all Zack. I'd gladly accompany you two."

Zack nodded then looked at her sheepishly. He scratched the back of his neck nervously as he prepared his next comment. "Well… you've just been wandering on your own all this time right? I mean… well… if you don't have anywhere else to go then how would you feel about permanently becoming part of our group? What do you say Aeris? Feel like joining our mercenary party?"

Aeris looked wide eyed at both of them. She saw that Cloud was also smiling appreciatively at the idea. 

Aeris smiled happily. She was actually becoming part of a group. She nodded vigorously at Zack's proposal. "I would be honored to join up with you guys!"

Zack and Cloud both smiled happily. "Well then, as a new member of our unofficial mercenary group, welcome to the fold." Zack said proudly.

Aeris giggled at his formalities while Cloud let out an annoyed sigh at his friend's antics. 

Zack suddenly put on a serious expression and regarded his friends. "Well then, now that that's settled, lets head out."

Cloud narrowed his eyes. "Wait a minute! Since when did you become group leader?"

Zack chuckled and waved his finger at Cloud. "It's just natural ability, ol' buddy."

"Since when did you get any natural ability besides the ability to take down 10 lbs. of food in a single bite?"

Aeris giggled silently as her friends continued their arguing while at the same time walking out of the town towards the horizons. Aeris thought back to her previous apprehensions about returning to Midgar and sighed heavily. _'You knew you would have to face this conflict sooner or later. It's best this way. At least now you have the support of friends who care about you.'_

And so the group set out for the City of Midgar, unmindful of the new journey which awaited them. 

::::::To Be Continued:::::::

**__**

Authors note: _Thanks for reading. Please stay tuned for the next chapter!_


	6. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of them. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it.

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 6

Zack was bored. A complete day had passed since they set out for Midgar. Throughout their whole journey they had only encountered one fight. They had been trailing down a narrow path when suddenly a few skimpy monsters jumped from out of the bushes and attacked Aeris. Cloud had been the first to react but soon after, Zack joined in and together they defeated them in no time. After that, things just went down hill for the black haired mercenary. Now that Aeris was officially part of their group, Zack thought things would be looking up for him but instead all that resulted in this was that Cloud and Aeris began spending more time talking together. 

Zack had no problem with that. He fully supported his friend in his developing relationship with Aeris. What troubled him now was that it left him with nothing to do. Whenever traveling, he usually occupied himself with either fighting off monsters that attacked them or harassing Cloud. With neither option free at the moment, Zack was at a loss for anything to do now but mope and groan as they neared closer towards the Shinra Capital. 

Cloud looked on into the horizon and saw the first signs that they were nearing their destination. The surrounding area was barren and dead. It was a complete wasteland. Not surprising for the man who believed anything Shinra had its hand in eventually would lead to death anyway. An ocean of memories flooded Cloud's mind as he studied the landscape. Too painful to dwell on it, he violently shook his head to clear it of the troubling thoughts. A tender hand gently rested on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Aeris staring sympathetically towards him. 

"I know how troubling this must be for you." She said, quietly. "Returning to Shinra after all this time must be extremely hard for you. Knowing what they did to your town, it must really be tearing you up inside."

Cloud didn't reply but simply nodded morbidly. Aeris lightly touched his cheek looking at him with tender eyes. "It's ok. I'll be with you. At least we have each other right?"

Cloud found himself once again trapped in her beautiful eyes. So spellbound was he by her magnificent beauty that, for a moment, he couldn't will himself to answer, as if afraid the slightest interruption would crush the moment. Thus he offered her a weak smile and once again nodded his head. "Yeah… You're right…" He said silently.

Aeris continued to look into his eyes. Their faces drew nearer when suddenly. 

"Ok, ok break it up you two!" Zack interrupted in a mock-authoritative voice. "We're nearing the boarders of Midgar now. There's plenty of time for the two of you to suck face when we get there. For now lets just focus on reaching the city before daybreak. We are on a deadline here, ya know?"

Both Cloud and Aeris blushed violently once they realized what they were doing and that Zack had figured them out. Cloud cleared his throat loudly. "Yeah, umm you're right Zack." He said in a nervous voice. "Let's keep moving." He turned to Aeris and held his hand out to her. Blushing, she accepted it warmly.

"Oh for the love of god! Will you two just cut that out already!" 

Cloud and Aeris both laughed at Zack's frustration but continued their journey towards the big city.

****

Four hours later, the group finally made it to the front gates of Midgar. Zack was overjoyed by their arrival. Cloud and Aeris also seemed pleased by their progress. Zack promptly took charge of the situation.

"You two hold back and let me take care of the guard. I'll have us in, in no time at all."

Cloud rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Yeah right! I guess you've just got all the keys to every lock in the whole freaking world huh Zack?"

Zack shot him a mischievous grin. "Exactly! Just watch the master in action."

Zack walked up to the guard standing by the front gate. "Hey how's it going? We're just travelers here tying to check out this great city we've been hearing so much about."

The guard's expression was unchanged. "That will be 400 gil to proceed." He replied coldly. Zack looked at him with a pained expression. 

"Sheesh! 400 gil? Geez prices sure are going up now adays."

"400 gil!" The man repeated, this time more forcefully.

Zack regarded the man wearily but complied to the demands. He fished in his pouch and pulled out the 400 gil handing it to the man slowly as if not wanting to part with it all.

The guard quickly snatched the currency and deposited it into the money machine at his side. "You may now enter." He said coldly.

"Sheesh." Zack waved for Aeris and Cloud to catch up then they all walked into the blustering city. 

Once they were through the front gates, Cloud chuckled at him. 

"What's so funny all of a sudden?"

"Yeah, that was real smooth work there, Mr. 'I can get through any entrance with no trouble at all'."

Aeris giggled at the remark making Zack even more red in the face. "Shut up!" He said angrily and continued walking ahead of his companions. 

Cloud's expression quickly became more serious. "In any case, we still need to find our contacts so we can find out exactly what kind of a job their offering us."

"They said they were in sector 7 right?" Aeris inquired helpfully. 

"Yeah but you really didn't bother to ask exactly where in sector 7, did you Zack?" Cloud asked with a frown on his face.

Zack glanced at his partner sheepishly and laughed nervously. "Heh heh, well… I guess I kinda forgot to ask… Heh heh."

Cloud threw his arms up in frustration. Aeris saw that things were deteriorating and quickly took the lead. "Well guys, there's no sense in crying over spilled milk right? Lets just head towards sector 7 and do our best. We may get lucky and find them there."

Zack nodded enthusiastically while Cloud just shrugged still heated over Zack's irresponsibility. 

The group continued their trek down the rundown city, anxiously looking around for any signs that would tip them off to the location of their contractors. "I wonder what sector we're at right now." Aeris wonder out loud. 

Cloud shrugged nonchalantly. "Does it really matter? We're here for one reason, to find our contractors and find out about our job offer. We don't need to worry about anything else."

Aeris suddenly gave Cloud a hurt look then turned her back to him. He blinked rapidly, wondering what he had said to hurt her. Zack shot him a sidelong glance then turned away focusing his attention on the surrounding scenery. 

Cloud quickly walked up to Aeris and touched her shoulder. "Aeris, what's wrong?"

Aeris turned towards Cloud with tear glazed, eyes. "So that's all you feel for the people surrounding you Cloud? You feel nothing for the struggle these people are going through?"

Cloud was shocked speechless. He had never thought of it that way and that was certainly not how he wanted to come off as sounding.

Aeris took advantage of his shocked silence and continued. "I thought that you of all people would feel differently then that Cloud. Can't you sympathize with what these people are going through? Doesn't it effect you at all?"

Cloud regarded her with regretful eyes. "Aeris… I…"

Aeris wouldn't listen to anything else he had to say. She quickly turned around and ran down the dirty streets into the darkness. "Aeris! Wait!" Cloud called after her. He started to follow but suddenly a rough hand grabbed his arm.

"Wait." Zack said in a serious voice. 

Cloud looked after the retreating form of the young woman who had earn a place in his heart. He swung around violently glaring at Zack. "What the hell are you doing?" he seethed in unbridled anger. "I have to go after her!" 

Zack matched the blond's anger with his own, flashing a dangerously serious gaze towards him. "NO! What you have to do now is cool off Cloud. Look around you genus! Take a look at your environment and then tell me you feel the same way!"

Cloud complied nervously in response to his friend's unusually serious and authoritative tone. As he observed his surroundings more closely it all shined on him bright as day. The concealed figures staring at him from the distance, the crooked strangers glancing his way, the local thugs willing to give anything for a quick night brawl. It hit Cloud like a mallet. This was not the place to exploit one's emotions. Cloud turned to regard his partner once more. Zack gave a crisp nod. 

"Now do you understand?" He asked in a soft tone. "These thugs will be on you in a heartbeat if you show even the slightest weakness, even if unintentional and the last thing we need right now is to draw attention to ourselves."

Cloud lowered his head in shame. He then looked up pitifully towards his best friend. "Then what are we going to do? Aeris is all alone in this crooked environment. What if she needs our help?"

Zack let out a soft sigh and closed his weary eyes. "Can you trail her without marking yourself off as some lovesick idiot?" he asked in a patronizing tone. 

Cloud glared daggers at him but Zack could see the anxiety in his eyes. 

"Yes." Cloud replied in a flat, even voice.

Zack sighed once again then turned around to take in the full view of the boisterous city once more. "Then go after her." He said softly with his back to him. "But don't approach her directly. Aeris just needs some time to herself right now. Watch over her. Make sure she doesn't get into any trouble but by no means should you approach her. She's hurting right now. She feels like you've betrayed her trust in a way. Let her cool down and figure things out on her own before trying to explain anything to her. Things will work out better that way."

"What about you?"

Zack turned his head slightly towards his friend, flashing him one of his famous grins. "Don't worry about me. I'm going to keep looking for our contacts. Once I find them I'll find you. Don't worry about it."

Cloud was hesitant but the urge to protect Aeris took priority and so he turned on his heels but stopped midway. "Zack… if you run into anything you can't handle out here…"

Zack chuckled a bit. "Don't worry, I'll be fine Cloud. Just go after her. And be careful yourself ok?"

Cloud nodded sharply and without another word he was gone.

Zack turned his full attention towards the crowded city now carefully examining every part of it. _'Not much has changed here…'_ Zack thought to himself as he encompassed the whole sector with his hazel brown eyes. _'This is sector 6, "A" district. So that means sector 7 should be two blocks to my right. It's been far too long since I've last set foot here. Yet even though the city is the same, much has changed since then…'_ Zack quickly shook his head to divert the onrush of painful memories. _'Nothing I can do to change the past but make up for it while I'm still living in the present.' _He promptly picked up his pace and continued his trek towards sector 7 in stoic silence. 

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Authors note: _Thank you for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 7!_


	7. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of them. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it.

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 7

Cloud ran down the streets of Midgar as fast as his legs would carry him. He scanned the surrounding areas anxiously trying to catch sight of the woman who's face constantly floated through his mind._ 'I shouldn't had said what I said.' _He berated himself mentally for the 10th time. _'I should have been more open to her feelings.'_ He continually berated himself for his mistakes. If anything happened to Aeris he felt he would truly die of anguish.

Cloud ran towards yet another alleyway. His face darted this way and that, searching both directions, hoping he would catch sight of the brunette haired woman. _'Come on, where are you Aeris! Don't do this to me!' _His anxiety was beginning to get the better of him and he suddenly felt the first signs of a nervous break down setting place inside his mind. 

He ran down yet another alley path. He was no longer keeping track of where he was running only that he had to keep moving because each second wasted could lead to a more terrible fate for Aeris. 

After running for what seemed like hours, he finally fell to his knees in exhaustion. His eyes were burning with hot tears of frustration and agony. He clinched his fists in desperation. 

He didn't want to give up on the woman who was beginning to become the center of his life but there was nothing he could do. No matter how much he looked there seemed to be an even greater number of alternate routes to take. It was a hopeless effort. "Damnit!" He whispered in frustration. 

Suddenly he heard a soft noise coming from the distance. He darted his head up to see the crumbled form of Aeris sitting by a street corner quietly weeping. Cloud breathed a shaky sigh of relief but restrained himself before automatically planing to walk towards her. Zack's advice rang clear in his mind. 

****

Aeris wiped the streaking tears from her eyes. Her mind was full of erratic decisions. On one end she told herself that Cloud was just like all the rest. He was a selfish greedy man and that she couldn't believe he had betrayed her in such a way. 

However, on the other side, her mind was logically thinking back to his shocked and remorseful reaction to her accusations. As her mind dwelled more and more on that image, her heart sank with regret that she had been so hard on him. She truly didn't want to think negatively of Cloud; far from it. She constantly berated herself for running off like that. She never even gave him a chance to explain himself. And now she was all alone, just like before. Alone and lost in the very same city she had begun to hate from the very moment she had first set foot here, Many years ago. This made her weep even more. 

__

'Why do things always have to be this way?' She asked herself mentally. She didn't know what to do thus she just sat there miserably dwelling on the past few days. After a while, she finally collected herself and stood up. No matter what, she would keep on moving. Thoughts of her mother and her dying words rang loud in her mind. _'Live on Aeris. Live on and always have faith. The world is a better place then it seems. All you have to do is look…' _A final tear ran down her cheek as she recalled those last tender words that drifted from her mother's lips. She would keep on living and she would find her own happiness. She had promised her mother as much. Even if Cloud had left her, it wasn't then end of the world. She was still alive and that meant that there was still hope for happiness. She brushed aside the tear and observed her surroundings. The scenery was just like before. Everything was barren and dead. No life could possibly thrive in such settings. A dreadful weight was beginning to fall on her shoulders and she prepared to embark once more into the world of loneliness and solitude. 

Finally, as she looked around towards the outskirts of the junky sector she was in, her eyes came to rest on the hesitant form of Cloud, standing still in the, not too far, distance. Shock, bewilderment and a thousand other emotions ran through her mind all at once. However, the final expression she allowed to shine upon her face was a relieve smile. Cloud had come back to her. 

****

Zack walked slowly through the crowded alleyways of sector 7. This was, by far, one of the more popular sectors of Midgar. At the same time, it was also one of the most run down parts as well. Everywhere he looked, he saw broken down buildings, shattered roads, mountainous piles of junk and many other objects of decrepit taste scattered about. Truly, this was a sight very unbecoming for a city as big and powerful as this one. 

Zack broke his attention away from his surroundings, calling to mind once more that there was a reason why he was in this sector and it didn't involve sight seeing. He sighed heavily. He was supposed to find his contacts but It was hard to find anything in a sector this big. Suddenly he felt a light tug on the end of his pants. He turned quickly, thinking someone was trying to mug him but found that instead it was only a little girl trying to get his attention. 

A bright smile formed on his face as he squatted down and greeted her. "Hey there, sport!" He said in a friendly voice. "What can I do for you?"

The little girl returned his smile with one of her own. "Hi mister!" She said cheerfully. "I'm trying to get to my house but my daddy told me never to walk around in the streets by myself. So can you walk me home?"

She had asked the question in such a cute and innocent tone, Zack almost laughed at the sincerity of it all but held it in as it might hurt the young girl's feelings. Zack regarded the wasted sector once more. _'I guess even thorns have their flowers blossoming from within.' _

Zack flashed a bright smile. "Sure, I'll walk you home kid but didn't your dad ever tell you its not good to talk to strangers?"

The little girl lowered her head as if seriously debating something over. Again, Zack had to restrain himself from laughing. She darted her head back up and looked at him once more, still wearing her happy smile. "Well, you're an exception."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Cause you don't look like a mean person."

This time Zack couldn't help the laugh which erupted from his mouth.

"Well I'll take that as a compliment I guess. But still you should be careful of who you try to befriend. Not everyone's as friendly as I am."

The girl nodded quickly then grabbed his hand. "Can we go now please? It's getting kinda cold."

"Oh, uh well yeah I guess so."

The girl promptly led him down the far end of the sector. After ten minutes of walking, Zack's expression quickly grew more grim._ 'If my memory serves me right, this area's gotta be the slums.' _He thought to himself wearily. _'It's amazing how such an innocent sweet little girl could live in such a run down area.'_

"Is this really where you live?" He asked the girl quietly. 

The girl nodded with a big smile on her face. "Yep! This is where me and my daddy live. It's not far from here. Just around that corner."

"Ok." Zack said with a smile on his face. They rounded the corner and once again, Zack found himself taken by surprise. 

"A… a bar? You live in a bar?"

The child giggled at his reaction. "No silly! I don't live in a bar, I live under the bar!"

This made Zack even more mortified. "W- what?!?!"

Suddenly the door burst open and Two men walked out towards them. One of them had Raven black hair with a headband tying his bangs back. He was slim and carried a sub machine gun on his back. The other man was much more plump and had a bandana on his head wearing a yellow tee-shirt and army fatigue pants. He also had a machine gun. Zack narrowed his eyes suspiciously then moved his hand towards his sword hilt. 

"So it was all a set up huh?" He asked in a steady tone of voice.

The girl stared wide-eyed at him. "No wait! You can't fight them! You're both the good guys!"

"Huh?" Now Zack was totally confused. 

Soon another person came out of the entrance. It was a woman with Dark brown eyes and brunette hair. She was garbed in a white tee-shirt and short black shorts. This time, Zack recognized the face. He slowly lowered his hand and stared at the woman evenly. 

"So you never intended for us to find you after all huh? Had it all planned out did you?"

In response, the woman simply smiled brightly and waved at him. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Yeah, I almost didn't… Tina Lionheart isn't it? Do you always use little kids to take care of grown up business?"

Tifa cringed lightly at the name mix up._ 'Tina Lionheart? Where the hell did that come from?' _

"Uhh… heh heh actually it's Tifa Lockheart. And to answer you question, no. We generally never use little Marlene here for any of the things we do. We merely had her come to you now because it was the most inconspicuous thing we could do given our current situation. Besides, Biggs and Wedge here had you watched from the very beginning. There's no way any of us would let anything happen to Marlene." 

"So what happens now then? I'm pretty sure we're not going to just have this meeting out in the open like this."

Tifa glanced around wearily then trained her eyes back onto the dark haired mercenary. "Come inside." 

Zack raised a slight eyebrow, still skeptical about the whole situation. Letting out a deep sigh, he braced himself and stepped forward into the medium sized bar labeled Seventh Heaven.

****

Cloud and Aeris stood staring at one another for what seemed like an eternity. Neither one made a move as they observed the other in an uncomfortable silence. Aeris regarded Cloud with a look of shock and pleasant surprise. Cloud wore a similar look but his expression also carried a great amount of guilt along with it. 

A light breeze played across the dirty ground brushing dust along the roads. Aeris hair trailed in the direction of the winds making her even more magnificent to Cloud's eye. Finally Cloud worked up enough courage and walked forward. Aeris did likewise and in no time at all, the two of them were directly facing one another. 

"Aeris…" Cloud began. "I'm sorry. I want to apologize for what I said earlier. I had no right to say what I did. I guess I just really wasn't thinking at all. I only meant-"

"Shhh…" Aeris cut him off. "Don't say anything Cloud. Please? Lets just live in the moment, not in the past. Ok?"

Cloud could hardly suppress the relieved smile on his face as he nodded his head in compliance. "Ok Aeris. We don't have to talk about it anymore if you don't want to. It's just… when you left, I was really scared…"

"Cloud…"

"I was afraid I would lose you… and I could never bare for that to happen… ever. I know I've known you for only a few days but Aeris… I … I mean I think…"

They had now walked within arms reach of one another and Aeris was staring directly into Cloud's eyes waiting expectantly for him to finish his statement. Her heart was beating fast from the exhilaration and she could tell Cloud's was as well. 

Cloud swallowed the lump in his throat and continued. "Aeris I think I'm-"

****

THAP 

Cloud suddenly grimaced in pain and clutched the back of his neck.

"Cloud!" Aeris quickly steadied him before he could fall over. 

"Are you ok?" 

Cloud blinked his eyes rapidly before responding. "Yeah, yeah I'm ok I think…" 

"What happened?" Aeris asked in alarm, looking around wildly from right to left.

Cloud similarly scanned the surrounding areas. "That's what I'd like to know."

A sudden laugh rang out in the distance. Cloud and Aeris immediately looked up to find a man in a blue suit standing up on the rafters of a nearby abandoned building. He had spiky red hair with goggles over them. His white dress shirt, which he wore under his blue suit jacket, was messy and slightly untucked and a cigarette was tilted from his lips. He gingerly held it steady as he took another puff. 

Aeris cringed at the sight of him. 

"Heh, Long time no see, eh Aeris?" The man asked in an arrogant tone of voice.

Aeris expression became grim. "Reno. How did you know I was here?" she asked with anger and a touch of fear in her voice.

The man shrugged nonchalantly. "You should know better then to think you can hide away from Shinra. The company will always have tabs on you toots. You can't escape us!"

"No!" Aeris said almost in a desperate and plea-full tone of voice. "I will never be your guinea pig again! Never!"

At the sound of her anxiety, Cloud quickly rushed in front of her and drew his sword out. "Listen up Rhino or whatever the hell your name is, I don't know what's going on but I do know that you will never get this girl, do you hear me!? I will protect her with my life!"

Reno chuckled amusedly on his perch high in the rafters. "Oh? So 'you' are her protector? Oh come on! Give me a break! How can you protect her when you can't even protect yourself!" 

Cloud said nothing but narrowed his eyes in anger and tightened his grip on his sword. 

Reno continued his tirade of insults. "You couldn't even dodge a simple dart! That show's how incompetent you are as a protector for anything!"

"Just shut up and fight!" Cloud yelled back, now completely agitated by the red haired man's insults. 

Reno smirked graciously. "Ahh, music to my ears."

Without another word, the man in blue hopped down from his perch and, in no time at all, was standing dead center in front of Cloud.

Cloud quickly erased his expression of shock at how fast the man moved and once again stood ready in his fighting stance. Reno's eyes narrowed dangerously as he too assumed his own fighting stance. 

With a flick of the wrist, he was suddenly holding a deadly black weapon. Aeris gasped in fear at the all too familiar weapon she had seen so many times before. The dreaded nightstick was now at the ready in the Turk's hand. 

Reno took another drag from his cigarette. "Just as to warn ya, I'm gonna mess you up pretty bad so I hope you got life insurance."

Cloud didn't respond but simply pursed his lips in anticipation. 

In a flash of movement, Reno lunged at the mercenary full force. Cloud quickly dodged out of the way but almost immediately fell back from dizziness. He blinked rapidly to clear his blurring vision. Reno took full advantage of the opening. With swift, meticulous movements, the Turk rammed his boot into Cloud's face, completing a roundhouse kick. He followed up with a swift jab to the gut then five more to the chest and face. Cloud staggered back in pain as he continued to furiously clear his dimming vision. He could faintly hear Aeris screaming his name in alarm. 

Cloud staggered a few steps more then steadied himself and took a swing towards his opponent with the full fury of his Buster Sword. However, he missed horribly. His vision was now almost completely shot. Reno darted in for another attack and before Cloud knew what was happening, Reno jammed his fists deep into his gut, forcing the man to scream out in pain. He fell to one knee, desperately trying to catch his breath. 

Reno casually circled the defenseless man then swiftly kicked him in the stomach. Cloud groaned once more and fell over on his side. An evil grin formed on the turk's lips and he then began to forcefully deliver more swift kicks to his mid-section.

Aeris was now hysterical. "That's enough Reno! Stop it! Stop it already! Please?"

Reno temporarily ceased his relentless attack and regarded Aeris with calm eyes. "Well I don't know toots. I'm kinda enjoying myself here, ya know? But maybe if you come with me peacefully, I might forfeit my fun just this once and be a gentleman about the whole thing. What do you say?"

Aeris lowered her head in anguish. A soft whisper slowly escaped her lips. "…Ok… I'll do it. Anything… Just stop hurting him."

Reno grinned wickedly and turned to face her. "Well then, in that case, why don't you try these on." He casually tossed a pair of handcuffs her way. They fell heavily onto the ground in front of her. Aeris flinched when they landed but she hesitantly bent down and picked them up. 

Suddenly Reno screamed out in pain and anger, causing Aeris to dart her head back up. She couldn't believe her eyes. Reno was crouched over holding his shoulder. Cloud was not too far away, slumped on one knee panting heavily with his sword at the ready. He turned his head towards Aeris but his eyes were half closed as he was still trying to clear his vision. 

"Don't do it Aeris! I'll protect you. Don't give yourself up for me!"

"Cloud!" 

Reno was back up in a heartbeat. Cloud tried to jump back but it was too late. He swung his sword down hard but Reno slid through his defenses. With the stealth of a cat, the Turk whipped out his nightstick and rammed it deep into Cloud's chest. Immediately he began to convulse violently as electrical currents ran through his body. Reno held it there for a moment longer then pulled away, letting the, now unconscious, man fall heavily to the ground. 

Reno turned towards Aeris. He was panting loudly, still clutching his injured shoulder. "What a dumbass huh? I was going to let him get off easy and then he does something stupid like that! IT MAKES ME SICK!" He roughly kicked Cloud in the gut once more. Aeris crumbled to the ground crying in anguish. 

"Stop it please! Please leave him alone!"

Reno was unheeded and continued his relentless assault, kicking the man with all the fury he had. Aeris was hysterical. It was all happening again. The past would never be buried in this evil hell called Midgar.

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Authors note: _Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 8._


	8. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of them. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it. 

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 8

Zack looked around in awe as he studied the vast interior of the underground base currently used by the renegade group Avalanche. Zack had been mildly surprised by the fact that one of the display area's of the bar was really used as an elevator. He had to give credit to whoever came up with that idea. The new area was completely different from the bar. It was much larger and almost took on the appearance of a gym rather then a command area. There were three lounge couches and to his right was a huge vid-screen broadcasting all the news reports and radio waves. The actual parts that marked the base as professional took Zack by surprise. Everything was organized so simply but at the same time it also had its elements of advancement that put it above regular command areas. 

Zack let out a soft whistle to express his surprise at the layouts. Tifa gave him a quick backwards glance. "This is our base." She said simply. "Come with me."

Zack nodded his head and followed her as they began to walk down into the room.

Tifa walked up to a tall dark man and tapped him on the shoulder. The man promptly turned around then looked at Zack. 

"Oh. So he made it huh?"

Tifa nodded with a smile on her face. "Zack, this is our leader, Barret Wallace. Barret, this is the mercenary I was telling you about."

"It's a pleasure to meet ya" Zack said in a friendly voice and held out his hand. Barret looked at the offered hand and let out a deep grunt, bringing his right arm up so that the dark haired mercenary could get a good look. Zack gasped suddenly and retracted his hand just as fast. 

"Eh, sorry." He mutter apologetically as he stared at the dark man's right arm. Instead of seeing a roughly chiseled hand like the one on the left, he saw a silver plated, highly polished machine gun. Zack unconsciously swallowed the lump in his throat.

"So are you gonna stare at my hand all day or are we actually going to talk business." Barret said with a touch of irritation in his voice. 

Zack quickly put on a smile and nervously scratched the back of his head. "Heh heh err sorry. I didn't mean to stare. It was very unprofessional of me. So Tifa said you had a job offer for me?"

Barret nodded slowly then took a seat in a nearby chair. He motioned his left arm out, signaling that Zack should do the same. 

The dark haired mercenary quickly complied and plopped down on the crate next to him. 

Barret messaged the bridge between his nose, trying to collect his thoughts. "First off, Zack exactly how much do you know about Shinra?"

Zack raised an eyebrow in curiosity at the question. "Uh not much really. I know that they are trying to monopolize all the major towns on the continent, Probably the whole world by now. They thrive on mako, which is used to fuel materia. And I also know that everything they touch, they destroy."

Barret nodded his head, apparently satisfied with his response. "Pretty good. With that sort of mindset, it'll make your job easier."

Zack rubbed his chin in thought. "So… then you're not just some freelance Shinra group trying to round up rebels?"

Barret seemed to be furious at this. "What the fu#k gave you that idea?"

Zack shrugged innocently. "Hey, you never know! This is Shinra we're talking about here. I wouldn't put it past them!"

Barret nodded sagely. "Yeah you're right about that. However, I don't have the same assumptions about you. No offense but you don't look like Shinra material. At least that's what I hear from Tifa and I'm beginning to believe it myself. That's why you've seen this much already. Anyway, from what I hear, you've got pretty good skills. Right now I'm in need of skill. In fact, desperately so. We're planning a very important operation and we could use all the help we can get."

Zack leaned in closer. "Well I work with my partners. So whatever mission I accept, I have to settle it with them first but considering what you're all about, I don't think they would object. I still have one question that's bugging me though."

"And that is?"

"Why just us? If you need help so badly, why didn't you hire more people then just us."

Barret leaned back. "There's an old saying, If a cat spots a spec of cheese and a lump of cheese, he always goes for the lump, meanwhile, underestimating the spec which could actually be far more rewarding. Lets just say I'd like to continue being that spec for a while. When we attack Shinra, I believe our hits will hurt the most because they won't be able to spot us due to our drastically small numbers."

Zack nodded his head. "Now I understand. Makes sense I guess."

Suddenly, there was a loud beeping noise coming from the other end of the room. Barret promptly got up from his seat and rushed over to it. 

"Biggs, that's the communication frequency from Jessie! Patch it through."

"You got it!" Biggs replied as he meticulously ran his fingers across the keyboard punching in all sorts of commands. 

Zack knitted his brow slightly at mention of the name Jessie. It sounded familiar but he couldn't place it off hand.

Suddenly the main screen came to life and Jessie's face was clear on the screen. The recognition hit Zack like a train. _'So that's how they found out about us.' _He thought to himself in understanding. _'She was a spy the whole time then. Very clever.'_

"What's up Jessie?" Barret asked, leaning against the screen. 

"Trouble boss. I've just spotted one of Shinra's Turks. He's beating up on one of our mecenaries pretty bad. He's one of the contacts I was telling you about."

"What?" Zack immediately rushed towards the screen. "What does this guy look like? Does he have blonde hair and a big sword?" He asked anxiously.

Jessie nodded. "Yes that's him. He looks like he's in pretty bad shape."

"Where is the location?" Zack pressed.

"In the Waste area between sectors 5 and 6. Should we intervene?"

Barret rubbed his beard in thought. "This could just be some Shinra ploy to get us out in the open…"

"I don't care!" Zack interrupted suddenly. He ran towards the lift which had previously brought him down. "That's my partner out there and he needs my help!"

"Wait!" Barret called. "We have to devise some kind of a strategy!" 

"The hell with that!" Zack shot back. "I don't give a damn what Shinra finds out. If my friend is in danger then they better watch the hell out because I'm coming after them!" 

The lift began to rise before Barret could get to it. He leaned sagely against one of the pillars. 

"Tifa…" He began softly. "Go after him. Make sure he doesn't get in over his head."

Tifa bobbed her head promptly. "You got it." 

Once the elevator stopped, she quickly pressed the button to send it back down to her. She stepped on the base of the elevator when it got close enough. Barret rested an arm on her shoulder. 

"Hey, if it gets too rough for you to handle out there, just give us a signal. We'll be there in a flash to assist you."

"Ok." Tifa said then activated the lift, sending her back up.

****

Zack pushed himself to the limit as he raced down the worn out streets of sector seven. He quickly jumped atop a slanted building dashing across all sorts of obstacles. He ran along curved and jagged ends taking all the shortcuts he could. Fortunately, he was familiar with these sectors so he knew exactly where Cloud was and he knew the exact fastest way to get there. 

After running for roughly 5 minutes, he heard the sounds of fighting ahead. He quickened his pace and jumped down to ground level. He quickly dodged behind a jagged edge as he neared the scene ahead of him. Once he saw what was going on, he clenched his fists in barely suppressed fury. Aeris was hysterical and the Turk was standing over the Unconscious form of Cloud, kicking him ruthlessly. 

****

Reno laughed cruelly as he kicked Cloud's unconscious form yet another time. He was rewarded by the slight trail of blood that began to seep from the blonde man's mouth and the agonizing wail Aeris gave from the other end of the street. Reno smiled wickedly. No one ever touched him and lived afterwards. He held up his nightstick once again. 

"I think I've tortured him enough." He said amusedly. "It's about time I put him out of his misery." 

He quickly arched his arm up, preparing to deliver the final blow, when suddenly he just barely caught the flash of movement from the corner of his eye. He jumped back with amazing speed as a blazing circular ark of silver swooped before him. 

He shot his head up in anger and glared at the new intruder. Recognition assaulted him and his expression quickly became one of insuppressible hate and rage. 

"It's you!" He spat in the most venomous voice he could get out. 

Zack was unmoving as he glared back at the red haired man who had hurt his friend. His huge buster sword was still embedded in the ground where he had first intended to strike the him. An uncomfortable silence suddenly passed over the group. Each man glared at the other. 

Suddenly Aeris broke out of her temporary trance. "Zack!" She yelled happily. He couldn't have shown up at a better time.

This seemed to lighten the mood for Reno. An arrogant grin took the place of the spiteful expression of hate he wore earlier. "Heh, I had no idea I would be seeing you so soon. I thought you would have been smarter then to come back here of all places after what you've done!"

Zack narrowed his eyes, slightly lifting his sword up out of the dirt. "It's been a long time Reno. Still assaulting innocent people for Shinra I see."

Reno shrugged uncaringly and lit a cigarette. "And I see you're still protecting the weak. That always was your biggest fault wasn't it?"

Aeris looked on from one man to the other in total confusion. "Y- you two… know each other…?"

Zack didn't turn his head to look at her but kept his eyes dead center on the red haired Turk as he answered. "A long time ago Aeris."

"Not long enough." Reno grumbled, assuming a quick fighting stance. "So what do ya say Zack, ol' pal. Are we gonna make a fight of this or are we gonna let bygones be bygones for old time's sake and let me do my job?"

This only enraged Zack more. "You already know the answer to that question Reno. I don't have to spell it out for you."

"Good!" Reno smirked. "I've been wanting to take a piece out of you for a long time! Get ready for a big ass kicking!"

Zack grinned slightly. The scene shifted into an almost static atmosphere. Neither man moved as each sized up the other. Aeris was too scared even to breathe as she looked at the dreadful seriousness of each man. 

Suddenly, a soft light gleamed of the surface of Zack's blade and in no time at all, the two men where in a flurry of movements. They moved so fast, Aeris couldn't keep track of any of the moves they made. All she saw was a blur of steel and blue cloth.

Zack swung down quickly then curved his blade left, tracking Reno's swift movements. On Reno's part, he bobbed in and out, trying to get an opening but whenever he got close enough, he was deterred by the dangerous sword strokes of Zack's blade. Reno shifted in low then came up with a quick strike of his nightstick aiming for Zack's shoulder blade. Zack quickly moved out of the way, performing a 360 degrees spin then swinging up in a horizontal ark. A flash of blood sprayed the ground and Reno quickly darted back, clutching his arm tightly. 

Zack also took a few steps back to gain distance. Aeris was amazed at the outcome but held her breath and clinched her fists nervously. 

Reno was once again looking at Zack with hateful eyes. In response, Zack displayed a dangerous grin. "You're getting soft Reno. I've never known you to be that easy to hit before."

Reno's hateful expression slowly became arrogant, now wearing a mask of indifference and slight amusement. "Pretty good Zack, I've gotta hand it to you. You've gotten much better. I guess you win for today but mark my words! You're in Shinra territory now boy! If you even think for a second that Shinra will just ignore the fact that two of their most wanted runaways are roaming free in the city then you're dumber then I thought. You better believe we'll meet again. Count on it!"

In response, Zack quickly dashed towards the chuckling turk only to hit air as the man swiftly darted up onto one of the building rafters. "Better luck next time!" Reno taunted then darted away into the shadows. 

Zack Looked towards where the man had disappeared a while longer then he turned towards Cloud's unconscious form. Aeris was already leaning over him, caressing his blood stained face. Zack quickly ran over to his two partners. 

"How is he?" he asked worriedly. 

Aeris regarded Zack with a scarred expression. She simply shook her head as she looked back down at the unconscious man. Zack leaned in closer to get a better look. He pulled out a Cure 3 materia from his pouch and used it on Cloud. He saw that some of the wounds began to heal properly but Cloud was still in bad shape. 

Suddenly Zack's eyes caught sight of something on the side of Cloud's neck. He plucked it out and examined it.

"What is it?" Aeris asked, noticing what Zack had found. 

"This is bad…" Zack replied in a grim voice. 

"Are you both ok?" a voice suddenly asked from the distance. Both Aeris and Zack looked up to see Tifa running towards them. 

"Tifa!" Zack hollered. "Over here! We need to move him out of here, he's been poisoned!" 

Tifa ran up along side Zack to examine his injured partner. Zack felt Tifa's hand go stiff. Zack looked up to see Tifa staring wide-eyed at Cloud as if she had just seen a ghost.

"Uh Tifa? Are you ok? What's wrong?" 

Tifa said nothing, only continued to stare at Cloud's unconscious form. Zack stood up and grasped the woman's shoulder briskly. "Hey! Tifa are you ok?"

Once she realized someone was talking to her, Tifa broke out of her slight stupor. She looked at Zack with a confused expression on her face, then promptly passed out into his arms. 

Zack looked wide-eyed at Tifa's unconscious form then back at Cloud's then to Aeris who was silently cradling the unconscious man. Only one sentence summed it all up for the flustered mercenary. 

"What the hell?!?"

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Authors note: _Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 9._


	9. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of them. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it.

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 9

"What the hell happened out there!" Barret yelled. 

Zack plugged one of his ears in response then waited for the big man to calm down. However Barret wasn't going to be so easily deterred. 

"Look I want to know what's going on right now! First I send my second in command out to watch your back while you go to help your partner, then the next thing I know, she comes back waking up from unconsciousness and doesn't say anything at all. I mean $hit man! All she does now is stay in the medical room staring at the spiky haired guy!"

Zack sighed then leaned against the wall. Currently the two men were in the hallway a few feet away from the medical room in the Avalanche hideout. While Tifa stayed with Cloud, everyone else had wandered off their own route to take care of any necessary business. 

"I'm not really too sure I know what's going on either." Zack replied sagely. "All I know is that when I got there my partner was in danger. I took care of the danger and now my only focus is helping him until he gets better. There's plenty of time to worry about everything else later." 

Zack pushed himself off the wall and began walking down the hallway. Barret suddenly grabbed his arm. "Wait! We're not finished yet! We don't have time to wait till he recovers! Don't forget we still have a mission to accomplish. That's the reason why I hired you in the first place!"

Zack turned slightly and looked Barret straight in the eye. "Since when did you stop caring Barret?…" He asked gently.

Barret's hand suddenly went slack. "What are you talking about?" He asked hesitantly. 

"Don't play dumb Barret. You know what I mean. You claim you're fighting for everyone but since when did you get to the point where you don't give a damn about the people around you? When did it get so bad that you constantly put the mission before everything else?"

Barret was shocked beyond words. He tried to refute Zack's claims but found that there was nothing he could say. Zack had hammered the nail right into the coffin. Barret felt a lump of regret seeping into his heart. 

"B- but what's wrong?" He asked desperately towards the retreating, dark haired mercenary. "Why is Tifa acting this way now? Does she have some connection with him or something."

Zack didn't turn but continued walking down the hall. "That may very well be the case. But for right now, the best thing we can do is give them time. Everyone here is only human, don't forget that…"

Barret said no more as he watched the mercenary vanished out of sight. 

Meanwhile, Zack walked back into the main room and took the lift back up to the Seventh Heaven bar. On stepping out, he found the object of his search. Aeris was sitting down in a secluded area of the establishment. Her face was streaked with tears and her eyes were slightly red from stress and crying. Zack slowly walked up to her table. 

"Hey there." He said lightly in a jovial manner. 

Aeris was quiet for a moment, staring at her trembling hands. "How's Cloud?" She finally asked in a weak voice. 

Zack's smile brightened. "He should be ok in no time. Luckily, Jessie had some poison curing materia and she's pretty good with first aid so she should be able to patch Cloud up in no time. Besides, he's a pretty tough guy. I doubt a little fight like that would seriously mess him up."

Aeris nodded slightly but didn't say anything else. Zack raised his head in thought. Then suddenly, he snapped it back down. "Hey I know exactly what you need. I'll be right back." 

Before Aeris could give any kind of response, the dark haired mercenary was already up on his feet and walking over to the bar. There was a barmaid there serving drinks to the other customers.

"Hey there miss." Zack said in a friendly voice. "Can I get two cups of peppermint tea please?"

After a few moments the barmaid prepared the tea and set the two cups on the counter. Zack fished around in his pocket for his gil but the barmaid put a restraining hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it." She said in a kind voice. "It's already taken care of. I know about you and what you're doing here. Everything's on the house."

Zack's eyes flashed with approval. "Got it! Thanks a lot."

He promptly took the two cups and walked back over to where Aeris was sitting. He noticed that she had barely moved at all in his absence. She seemed to be completely absorbed in staring down at the polished wooden material of the table she was sitting at. 

"A gil for your thoughts." Zack said as he walked up along side her. He bent down and handed her a cup. "Here, try this out. It's peppermint tea. It's good stuff if you drink it slow. And you'll find it helps you to relax more too."

Aeris looked up at him as if waking from a daze and slowly accepted the cup in both hands. "Thank you." She murmured silently.

Zack smiled. "No problem." He pulled up a chair and took a seat next to her at the table.

Aeris sat there not saying anything for a moment. She silently sipped her tea. Zack merely looked at her the whole time feeling sympathy for the poor girl. Just looking at the woman's sad face made his heart ache. He desperately wished he could tell her something that would put her at ease. 

Finally she broke her silence."…I wanted to tell you…" She said in a quiet, almost whispering, voice. She kept her eyes trained on her tea as she continued. "I wanted to thank you for what you did today. You saved our lives… and… and I was so terrified that that man… Reno…I thought he would…" 

Aeris couldn't continue as she was overcome with a fit of emotion. Once again, Zack felt the heavy weight of sympathy for the poor girl. He lightly patted her back but she quickly pushed away. 

"It was all my fault! Can't you see? I was the one Reno was after… I knew they were after me from the start but I didn't say anything! I wanted to pretend that it was all a lie. I wanted to pretend my life began that day the two of you found me in that bar. I wanted to forget it all." Tears were now streaming down her face and Zack gently embraced her in his arms. 

"Shhh…" He said gently. "There, there now Aeris. Don't blame yourself. To be quite honest with you, Cloud and I wouldn't have cared either way. We all have Ghosts in our past that we'd rather keep locked away. As a matter of fact, Cloud would have only been more protective at best. Some things were just meant to happen the way they do. Everything happens for a reason Aeris. There's no escaping it. Never forget that; just as all things begin, All things must come to an end. That's why its important to be as honest and as happy with your life as possible while you still have it. Because you never know when you may lose that opportunity. I'm glad you ran off. It let you validate your feelings and think things through on a whole new level. Aeris, what happened today happened only to strengthen your relationship with Cloud. The both of you are alive. You should be happy with that solace and use the situation to your advantage."

Aeris didn't know what to say. She still held a heavy burden in her heart over what had happened. "But In a way, I lied to you both."

"No… You didn't lie Aeris. You were just too afraid to say anything. That's understandable. Cloud will understand."

Aeris didn't reply. She was still feeling glum. Zack scratched his head in thought for a moment. Then he briskly stood up and grabbed Aeris hand.

"Hey! W- what are you doing?" She said in alarm.

"Come with me." Zack had a bright smile on his face, signaling he had another one of his crazy ideas. 

"Zack! Let go!"

Zack ignored her pleas and continued up towards the back door exit of the bar and pulled her outside with him. Aeris looked all around and all she saw laying everywhere was junk and discarded equipment. 

Zack stepped a few feet away from Aeris, scanning the area then nodding his head in approval. He then turned towards her and pulled out Cloud's buster sword. He had strapped it over his own sword after they brought Cloud to the Seventh Heaven so that he could keep it for safe keeping until Cloud recovered. 

"Here, try this." He said, tossing Cloud's sword towards her. It landed with a heavy thud a few feet in front of her. Aeris looked at Zack with growing apprehension then down at the sword and then back towards him again. 

"I can't pick that up!" She said in indignation. "It's too heavy for me!"

Zack rubbed the back of his neck in irritation. "Just try it. It can't be all that bad!… Or are you just a weakling?" Zack was now smiling mockingly to bait Aeris on.

She apparently fell for it because suddenly her expression became grim. She bent down and grasped the hilt of the massive sword but cringed as she tried to lift it. Aeris struggled a bit but only managed to get it a few inches from the ground before dropping it completely. 

Zack sighed. "Hmm well maybe it was too heavy." He said it more to himself then to her but she took it directly. 

"Hell yeah it's heavy! You try being me and lifting this heavy thing up! I don't know how you and Cloud do it!"

Zack chuckled a bit then looked around. Finally his eyes caught sight of something and he smiled graciously. 

"Now what are you looking at?"

Zack walked over to a nearby pile of junk to his left and sifted through the contents. 

"What are you looking for?" Aeris asked in curiosity.

"This!" Zack stated, proudly holding the object in his hands.

Aeris looked disgusted. "A steel pipe? What do you need that for?"

"YOU!" He said happily. "This is your new weapon!"

"Oh please Zack! Come on, you expect me to fight with a disgusting thing like that?"

"Well the buster sword is too heavy right? And learning any basic forms of martial arts that will keep you alive against hard enemy's in such short time is out of the question… so… this is the only option left." The smile never left his face as he promptly handed her the pipe.

Aeris reluctantly grasped the pipe in both hands.

Zack saw her obvious distaste and tried to urge her on even more. "Ah come on Aeris, think about it. Just a minute ago you were complaining about how you couldn't do anything. Well now if you learn how to fight back, you might be able to use your skills to save us all one day. At least it's a start."

Aeris was quiet for a moment then nodded her head. "You're right. I'm being foolish. If I try hard enough, I won't need to be constantly protected by the two of you. I can fight my own battles and hold my own. That's part of what being a mercenary is all about right?"

"Now you're talking!" Zack said proudly. His expression quickly turned serious as he lay Cloud's sword to the side then unsheathed his own. 

"Ok, first rule of combat. You gotta have the correct stance. Now place your right foot in front of your left foot. That way you can keep your balance while holding your weapon properly."

Aeris assumed the stance position almost flawlessly. Zack nodded approvingly. "Now place your right hand on the staff over your left hand. You don't want them too close or you'll lose balance of the staff. But at the same time, you don't want them spread too far apart or you will lose flexibility with your attacks."

"Ok." Aeris said, trying to follow his instructions as closely as possible. Once she had that in place Zack took a few steps back. 

"Ok now slowly bring the staff up. And then slowly take it down. Let gravity work its coarse but add your own control to it. The trick to mastering weapons is mastering the flow of gravity around you. Once you've got that down pat, the rest comes easily." 

Aeris diligently listened to every word he had to say. From a nearby window, Barret watched on with approving eyes. _'That man… he has a knack for winning people over… but he fights too damn good to be a minor mercenary. I wonder… where did he learn how to fight…' _

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

****

Authors note: Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 10. 


	10. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it. 

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 10

Tifa sighed in exhaustion. She didn't know what to think anymore. She had been sitting by Cloud's bedside for three days now. The entire time he was at the base, she didn't let him out of her sight. Even now, after three days, she could still hardly believe her eyes. She had spent so many years of her life thinking that all her friends and family died on that tragic day in Nibleheim. She had come to the acceptance that everyone had died. Everyone… even Cloud. The feeling now was as if a terrible weight had been lifted from her shoulders yet at the same time another one had been pushed down. 

She wasn't afraid to admit now that she had been in love with Cloud in her childhood. The belief that he had died in Nibleheim saving her life, troubled her to no end. She had been depressed for many months after recovering. Finally she felt as if that guilt were being alleviated with every dent she made towards Shinra. But now… Now things were different. Cloud was alive! This scared her more than anything else. Now that she new he was alive, she didn't want to risk any chance of him slipping away again. Her heart couldn't bear it anymore. 

She had stayed up for all three nights, silently watching over him. She was tired of thinking about it. Tired of being afraid. Yet she couldn't help it. She had no more control over her actions. 

She let out another sigh as her thoughts began to become too jumbled to articulate anymore. "Cloud…" She whispered silently. "Please be ok."

The door silently opened causing Tifa to turn swiftly. Jessie walked in waving a hand in apology. "Sorry for bothering you Tifa but I gotta do that check up, ya know?"

Tifa shook her head in dismissal. "It's ok Jessie, don't worry about it. Do what you have to do." During her entire stay, Tifa noticed Cloud got many visitors. Zack and Aeris had frequented the room quite often. Judging by the way Zack behaved, he seemed to be really good friends with Cloud. She assumed they must have been partners for many years. Aeris was another matter all together. The pure thought of Aeris made Tifa apprehensive. She acted so tender towards Cloud, so passionate. Tifa didn't want to think of what this woman's connection to Cloud was. Tifa shook her head, trying to get the thought out of her mind.

She once again looked at Cloud's unconscious face and felt remorse for the man she had loved as a child. "What's wrong with him? Why hasn't he woken up yet? Is it that bad?"

Jessie shook her head. "No, I patched him up pretty good. Just be patient Tifa. Think about it. Not only did the guy take a few electrical volts to the chest, he also received severe beatings from that Turk bastard. And on top of that, his system was flooded with poison. Quite frankly, I'm surprised he's recovered as much as he has. But still, he's only human. His body needs time to rest up and recover. He's in his healing process now. The only one who can predict when Cloud will wake up is Cloud. We shouldn't rush him."

Tifa nodded slowly. "I guess you're right."

Jessie regarded Tifa as the woman continued to stare at Cloud's prone form. "You grew up with him didn't you?" she finally asked after a pause of silence. 

Tifa's eyes opened wide and she regarded Jessie in shock. "How… how did you know?"

Jessie smiled and nodded her head. "It's not that hard to figure out. Come on Tifa, you wouldn't go ape over just any guy. I figured you had some kind of connection with him and the fact that you're acting so concerned towards him points that he's from somewhere in your distant past. The same past you hardly ever talk about with anyone."

Tifa was quiet for a moment, then responded slowly. "He was my best friend back home in Nibleheim…"

Jessie gasped in shock. "Nibleheim!? But isn't that the town that burnt to the ground?"

Tifa nodded slowly. "Yes. On the day that it burned down, Sephiroth was fighting my father. He killed him right before my very eyes. I was enraged. I couldn't stand it… so I challenged Sephiroth myself."

Jessie was mortified. "…Y- you what?!? You fought 'the' Sephiroth?… Wow! But then how did you survive?"

"I almost didn't…" Tifa replied gloomily. "Sephiroth cut be pretty bad. I was dying but then Cloud came and patched me up a bit with some material from his coat. It wasn't much but it slowed down the bleeding temporarily. He then told me to wait and he went to fight Sephiroth. I can't remember much after that. Only that that was the last time I ever saw him… till now." 

Jessie nodded in understanding. "I see…"

"I thought he had died saving my life. It was a horrible feeling. And now that he's alive… I don't want to lose him again."

Jessie closed her eyes. "I know what that must be like. Don't worry Tifa… he'll be ok…"

Tifa gave a slight nod. "I hope so…"

****

Aeris panted heavily as she clutched her staff tightly in both hands. Zack stood a few feet in front of her, calmly holding his own buster sword over his shoulder. 

"Hmm your attacks are pretty good but you need to swing a little harder." He commented. "Attack again. This time, harder."

Aeris nodded then pursed her lips. She quickly rolled off the base of her right foot and leapt towards him, swinging her staff down hard. He dodged to the side yet Aeris followed through with a side swing. He quickly overruled his sudden burst of shock and dodged out of the way at the last second. 

"Very good!" He said enthusiastically. 

Aeris smiled shyly, glancing over her weapon with pride. "Thanks. I thought I would try surprising you. I figured if I could thrust downward using the force of gravity, why not control the inertia and use it to my advantage. That way, I simply had to point which way I wanted my staff to go next."

Zack nodded approvingly. "Now you're getting it!" Keep it up and you'll be kicking my butt left and right."

Aeris giggled lightly.

Zack smiled back. "Ok lets have another round then we'll call it a day, ok?"

"Ok! I could sure go for that. I'm famished." Aeris got into her fighting stance again. After only three days of training she had mastered the stance as if it were second nature. Zack was surprised at how quickly she was able to master the techniques. Yet she still lacked the force needed to strike hard enough. 

Zack assumed his own fighting stance. He made no other offensive move however, waiting a bit to build up the suspense. He saw that Aeris was getting anxious. 

"Come on Zack! Do you want me to attack first?" 

Zack shook his head. "I'll lead off but only on my own time. Aeris one of the most fundamental keys towards fighting is patience. Only after you have mastered that, will you ever be able to excel to your greatest potential."

"Hmmm ok but it sure is boring."

Zack couldn't help chuckling lightly at that. He quickly erased the thought and trained his mind back to the fight at hand. The two of them stayed in the stance for a few more minutes. The wind blew lightly across the dusty landscape making the scene almost artistic in a sense. 

Suddenly Zack opened up with a fierce attack. Aeris jumped rapidly out of the way then swung her staff down hard. Zack back-flipped out of the way from his crouching stance. Aeris was momentarily shocked at his agile abilities but quickly trained her mind back to the fight. 

Zack struck again but Aeris parried the blow skillfully with her staff. She struck back in turn causing Zack to also block the attack. Aeris saw she had the upper hand and continued her barrage. While Zack blocked and parried each blow, he decided to ask her the questions that constantly haunted his mind. 

"Aeris… is there any reason why ShinRa would want you?"

Aeris slightly ceased in her attack. Zack struck again causing her to block. "Stay focused on the fight Aeris. Don't let small talk distract you from your ultimate task."

She nodded but Zack still noticed the lightness of her attacks. He figured the question he had asked must have struck a personal cord. "I -I'm not really sure why exactly." She said hesitantly while she continued her attack. "It's just that… I'm different from other people. They said I was special. That's why they tried performing all kinds of experiments on me. There's a cruel professor there who is in charge of it all."

Zack nodded slowly while blocking yet another strike. Aeris went for a mid-attack forcing him to bob back a bit to avoid getting hit. "Sounds like the same old Shinra. Nice thrust by the way."

"Thanks." Aeris said in a distracted voice as she dodged his overhead attack. "So… How do you know so much about Shinra Zack?"

Now it was Zack's turn to get caught off guard. He quickly recovered before getting nailed in the chest by Aeris attack. "I'm a mercenary… It's just common knowledge for us to know."

Aeris wasn't so easily deterred. "Cloud didn't know who Reno was and visa versa. So why is it that it was different when you showed up? The two of you seemed to know each other pretty well."

"I was a mercenary longer then Cloud, Aeris. I've seen more then he has."

Aeris slowed down for a bit. "But…still…"

Zack took advantage of her distraction and swung low. He caught her off guard and used the flat side of his sword to trip her up. Aeris fell to the ground hard then sat up rubbing her sore back only to find the tip of a sword pointed at her. 

"Never become too distracted while fighting your enemy or you'll get tripped up." He said smiling. "And in this case, it's quite literal." He and Aeris laughed lightly at the small joke. 

He sheathed his sword then offered his hand towards her. Aeris accepted it graciously and stood back up on her feet. "Thank you." She said lightly.

"No problem. That was a good run. You've progressed tremendously in only three days. You're a natural fighter Aeris."

"But only to protect myself and others. I would never want to directly hurt someone else."

Zack smiled and nodded. "That's exactly the right mindset to have. I would think less of you if you said anything different then that."

They both sat down on a nearby tire, lying discarded to the side. Aeris seemed preoccupied in thought. Zack was relieved that they got off the subject of his past but noticed Aeris inner turmoil. 

"What's wrong?" He asked in a concerned voice.

"Cloud hasn't woken up yet. I wonder if something is wrong…"

Zack waved a hand in dismissal. "Ah don't worry about it. Cloud's strong but he's just exhausted. He needs some time to heal ya know?"

Aeris looked down, despondently. "But that's not all…"

"Oh? Then what is it?" He asked, interestedly.

"That woman… Tifa. It seems like she knows Cloud. The way she's been caring for him… Maybe she and Cloud were…"

Zack lowered his head in thought. "Hmm the only way to truly know what's going on between them is to ask Cloud directly. And at the moment Cloud's not available to answer it. Look Aeris, if there was something between them or not, that happened over eight years ago. You can't be jealous over something that happened at a time when you didn't even have anything to be jealous of." 

Zack sighed heavily. "And if I told you Cloud would push her to the curve and come running to you, I would be lying my mouth off. Whatever happens, happens. But you can't let life get you down. Otherwise you'll just get left behind. That's why you've always gotta look on the bright side of things."

Aeris didn't reply. She was still depressed over her new-found speculations. 

"Here's an idea!" Zack said standing up. "Why don't we both head inside and have a nice warm cup of tea? I hear they got a new flavor in!"

Aeris laughed lightly at Zack's jovial nature. "Zack, not everything is solved by a cup of tea. Life's not that simple."

Zack stared at her intently. "…Aeris…" He said softly. "Life can be only what you make of it. Whether it is complicated or not is entirely up to you."

With that, Zack turned and began to walk off towards the bar. Aeris watched after him until he disappeared out of her sight. Even well into the late night, many hours later, as she tried to go to sleep, his parting words played on her conscious. 

__

'Only what I make of it… That's exactly what mother said… before she…' Sleep enveloped her before she could finish her thought and the rest was silence.

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Author's note: _Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 11_


	11. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it.

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 11

Cloud slowly opened his eyes. To say he felt like hell was an understatement. The only other time he had been in this kind of condition was after his duel with Sephiroth and that was an experience he had hoped to never have to go through again. He felt as if he were sucking in acid with every breath. It was a chore, even to keep his eyes open. His head was pounding furiously and he vaguely found himself wishing he were indeed dead already so that the agonizing pain would stop. 

He closed his eyes again hoping that sleep would claim him once more and upon waking again, he would feel much better. However, to his misfortune, sleep did not claim him. After a few moments, he reopened his eyes. 

He quickly threw his hand over his face, shielding it from the bright glare of the swinging light overhead. Slowly and meticulously, Cloud sat up from his bed and looked around at his surroundings. 

"What is this?" He mumbled to himself as he looked at the odd setting. He was lying in a bed with a table next to him that had medical supplies on it and tones of healing materia. All around he saw that the room was slightly cluttered with odd assortments of bandages, and medical supplies but it also had articles of spare clothing and whatnot. Cloud finally came to the conclusion that the room must have been a storage area. 

Cloud suddenly jerked back as he felt movement coming from the foot of his bed. He automatically drew his hand to his back but noticed that his buster sword was not there. Panic was beginning to seize him. He slowly leaned forward to get a better look at what it was. He saw the outlines of a shapely woman sleeping. Her hair was covering her face and she was shitting on a chair, sleeping in the lap of her folded hands, which were rested at the foot of his bed. 

Cloud flinched when he saw her move again. Slowly she rose her head up groggily. Cloud narrowed his eyes. He tried to move out of bed but slouched back slightly from the pain. He sat up again as best he could as the woman finished waking up. Whoever this was, he would face her like a man. He would not show any weakness to these ShinRa captors. 

The woman slowly brought her head up and brushed the dark brown hair away from her face. Suddenly the whole world went blank for them both. Each one stared wide-eyed at the other.

Cloud could barely utter a word. His mind simply could not process what his eyes were telling him. 

On Tifa's part, she was shocked as well. Not so much by surprise that Cloud was alive but simply by the fact that he was here now. She couldn't believe that after all this time, the two of them were finally together again and that they were facing one another. She didn't know what to say. In this situation words were useless. The eyes said it all. 

Disbelief and astonishment gleamed in Cloud's eyes. He suddenly narrowed them in suspicion. "Who are you?" He rasped in a dry voice. His body seemed to have become even more fatigued at this new revelation. 

Tifa continued to look at Cloud with wide eyes. This time, hurt was clearly defined in them. "Then… y… you don't remember me…? Cloud it's me… Tifa…"

"Cloud shook his head violently. "NO!" He hissed. "It can't be! That's impossible! TIFA'S DEAD! I was there! I saw it myself!"

Tears were now beginning to streak down his eyes. Tears of torment and sadness. He couldn't bare to look at the woman who wore the appearance of one he cared so deeply about in his past. He quickly turned his face away so he wouldn't have to be tortured by it any longer. "I don't know what kind of sick games ShinRa is trying to play with me but they won't work! Do you hear me? They won't work Damnit!"

Cloud bent his head low in anguish and suddenly fell into a fit of sobs and tears. Deep sympathy touched Tifa's heart. The irony of it all did not escape her. He was crying for his lost companion. He was crying for her. Tifa sat on his bed and slowly wrapped her arms around his shaking shoulders. She hugged him close as he continued to sob. "Shhh… its ok now Cloud… I know how you must feel…but it is me…"

Suddenly Cloud grew angry and thrust his arms out, pushing her away from him. "Get away from me imposter! I will not be fooled!"

Tears were forming in Tifa's eyes now. "Cloud?…" She said it so silently; so pitifully that Cloud's heart began to ache despite himself.

"Prove it." He rasped. He was beginning to become over fatigued by everything that was happening. Tifa saw this and slowly stood up. She walked to the sink and poured water into a cup then handed it to him. 

Cloud looked at the cup wearily, then accepted it. His resistance was not yet strong enough to resist the much-needed liquid coolness. Cloud hungrily drained the cup in two gulps then licked his lips rewardingly. He had gone without regular food for so many days that his body was naturally dehydrated. 

"More." He gasped as he handed her the cup. 

A slight smile tugged at the edges of Tifa's lips as she took the cup from him and refilled it at the sink. She pulled out a pitcher from one of the cabinets and filled that with water as well then walked over and sat down next to him on his bed. After receiving the second cup of water he quickly drained it. Tifa leaned forward and poured him another cup full from the pitcher. This time he drank it slower and was able to restrain his urge to down the whole thing rapidly. Tifa watched him for a while as he nursed his drink, taking small sips now.

"You were out for 4 days." She said finally. 

Cloud did not respond. He continued to take sips, staring off into space. 

"You're one lucky guy, you know that? If it wasn't for your friend Zack, you would probably be dead right now."

That got a response. Cloud suddenly turned to face her with anxious eyes then dropped his cup and gripped her shoulders tightly with both hands. "Zack?!? Where's Zack? Where's Aeris? Tell me! What have you done with them?"

Tifa closed her eyes against the intense pain. "Nothing." She muttered. "I told you already! I'm your friend! I'm Tifa!"

Cloud shut his eyes tightly, not wanting to look into the hurt face of this woman. "Prove it!" He said. "If you really are Tifa, then prove it to me!"

Tifa nodded slowly then opened her eyes and stared at his with emotion and feeling. "Please?" She asked innocently. "You're hurting me." 

Cloud couldn't stop the rush of regret that assaulted him. Even if this was an imposter, he couldn't stand to see those eyes trained on him. He couldn't bare to hurt her anymore then he already had. He quickly released her and lowered his head mumbling a soft apology. 

Tifa smiled lightly. She looked up into the rafters thinking back to the time when life was so much simpler. "Do you remember Cloud…" She said softly. "Do you remember the night you made a promise to me? A promise that no matter what happened, you would always be there for me?"

Cloud's eyes snapped wide. His heart pounded loudly and tears were once again streaking from his eyes. With all of his might, he willed himself to nod. 

Tifa was similarly becoming filled with emotion by the memory. "…You said you would return to me where ever you ended up in life. That you would return to me and protect me."

Cloud closed his eyes and let out a soft sob of happiness and regret. Tifa continued.

"You told me that you would be my knight in shining armor." A soft giggle escaped her lips at the fond memory. "and that no matter what, you would save me from any-"

"Kind of danger whatsoever…even if it was a fire dragon…" Cloud finished. Tifa looked up at him softly and tears began to form in her eyes. Tears already marked Clouds face. 

Suddenly Cloud lunged forth and embraced Tifa in a tight hug. Tifa reciprocated with a hug of her own with equal intensity. "Oh Cloud…" she whispered as more tears fell from her face. 

Cloud was sobbing with tears of happiness. "Tifa…" He said in a tight voice. "Oh Tifa I've missed you so much! I … I thought I'd never… Oh Tifa!" He couldn't finish his statement as he was too overcome with emotion to say anything more. Thus the two of them just sat there in each other's arms, cherishing their moment of togetherness. 

****

From behind the slightly opened door, a tormented Aeris looked on in overwhelming Grief. She had initially come to check up on Cloud like she had always done at this time. She had just finished training with Zack and was going to sit with Cloud for a few hours. When she heard voices from within she was elated that Cloud was finally awake but before she burst inside, something held her back and so she was compelled to listen. By the sounds of the conversation, her heart sank lower and lower until she finally couldn't take it anymore. 

__

'So that's it then…' She told herself mentally. _'That woman is actually Tifa…The girl cloud told me he had nearly died fighting to protect… The girl Cloud was in love with during his youth…' _Aeris couldn't help the jealousy and sadness that gripped her heart. She immediately tore herself away from the door in anguish and ran towards the back door of the bar crying her heart out. Everyone else was doing something else so no one noticed, no one except Jessie, who noticed the young woman's tortured soul all too well.

****

Zack walked casually down the corridors of the Avalanche hideout, heading towards the room Cloud was currently in. He was sure Aeris would already be there. She was always there at this time. He had initially planed to practice more by himself and sharpen up his skills but then he figured the young green-eyed woman might get lonely. He also decided that it would be nice to pay Cloud a second visit for the day. Thus he sheathed his broadsword and was presently on his way. Zack walked up to the slightly ajar room only to hear a pair of voices from within. 

A grin quickly formed on his face. Cloud was awake. He promptly reached for the door to swing it open when suddenly a rough hand grabbed his shoulder. By reflex, Zack was about to retaliate until he recognized the voice along with the hand.

"We need to talk!"  


"Barret?" Zack turned around to face the Avalanche leader. "What's up?"

Barret gave him a serious look. "Meet me in my office." With that, he turned and walked back down the corridor. 

Zack scratched the back of his head in confusion then glanced back at the door he was about to enter. Finally he closed his eyes and walked discouragingly towards Barret's office.

****

Aeris sat alone in the field where she and Zack usually trained. She wiped her dry eyes and stared gloomily out at the landscape of the desolate area. She had no more tears to shed yet the ache in her heart was sign enough that she was still troubled by the scene she had witnessed only a few moments earlier. 

She let out a deep sigh as her mind ran rampant with all kinds of thoughts. She had excelled in ways she never thought she would. Thanks to Zack, she had developed skills that would protect her from menaces, which she would normally hide from. She also learned to train her mind to a level where she could blot out troublesome thoughts while in the heat of combat. Zack had taught her all of this. _'But for what reason?'_ She thought to herself sadly. _'I was depressed about Cloud and that's what led him to teach me the art of fighting. He trained me simply so that I could take my mind off of the man who haunts my dreams. But now look at me? All that training was for nothing!'_

She thought back on her reaction to Cloud and Tifa's conversation and cringed inwardly. _'I ran away just like a frightened little girl… maybe that's all I am to Cloud… a little girl who needs protecting… I'm nothing more to him then just a … SISTER FIGURE!'_

Aeris closed her eyes to blot out the anguish of this new train of thought. She slowly cupped her face in her hands as she tried to get a hold of her troubled thoughts.

"You ok over there?" A voice asked from the distance. 

Aeris recognized the voice immediately and turned her head. "Jessie…? I'm sorry, we never really got the chance to talk before. I wanted to thank you for helping me back at the bar… and also I wanted to thank you for helping Cloud…"

Jessie closed her eyes with a knowing smile traced on her lips. She slowly walked over to Aeris and took a seat next to the troubled woman. 

"Ya know you really don't have to be so secretive. I know exactly what you're going through."

Aeris blinked rapidly. "Huh?"

Jessie sighed. "You're upset about what's going on between Cloud and Tifa because you feel something for Cloud. Am I right?"

Aeris nodded slowly with a perplexed expression on her face. "B- but how did you…"

Jessie smiled lightly. "It's written all over your face hon. How could anyone not notice?"

Aeris stared down despondently. "I just don't know what to do. I mean if Cloud is really in love with her I don't want to come between them… It's just that…"

"It's just that what Aeris? Come on, think about it! You've only known this guy Cloud for how long? Maybe a week? Half of which time, he was knocked unconscious! Look Aeris, I really think you are rushing through this. So you and Cloud are extremely physically attracted to one another, how many times does that happen?"

"But there's something between us! I know there is. Whenever I'm with him I feel…"

"Attraction? Some sort of connection which you can't explain? Honey whatever it is, it can't be love. You don't know enough about him to be in love with him."

Aeris was quiet for a moment and stared vacantly into the dust covered distance. Finally she sighed heavily. "Maybe I am… Maybe I am rushing things way too far…. So what do you think I should do?"

Jessie smiled lightly. "Get to know him better. Look, don't try and hurry into a relationship especially when he just found out that his childhood friend is still alive! He's probably got all kinds of mixed feelings right now. Just give him some time to breathe. Let him think this through. I'm not saying he'll automatically turn to Tifa, I'm simply saying that you should allow him to make his own decision and to understand where he's coming from."

Aeris continued staring at the ground but nodded her head slowly.

"Hey!" Jessie said, clutching her shoulder. "At the same time, you shouldn't just be sitting on the side waiting to find out if you're only second best!"

Aeris looked up at the young Avalanche woman. "What do you mean?"

"Cheer up for crying out loud! Stop being so damn gloomy all the time! You should find your own happiness. Don't wait for others to bring it to you!"

Suddenly something snapped in Aeris and memories of Zack's previous words began circulating through her mind once again. _'Life can be what you make of it…'_

It was all starting to make sense to her now. The reason why Zack had been trying to get her mind off of cloud, the reason why Jessie was talking with her now. She was simply torturing herself. Just like she had done years ago. She kept on thinking there was something wrong with her when in fact it wasn't her but simply the situation she and Cloud had created for themselves. 

Aeris smiled and looked up at Jessie with bright eyes. "Thank you Jessie. I think I understand now."

Jessie returned the smile then stood up. "That's the way to think about things. Stop worrying about what other people think of you and rely on your own self-made happiness."

Aeris nodded. "Yeah, I'm beginning to see what you mean."

"Yup, well I have some more things to do around the bar but if you ever need to talk, I'll be there for you Aeris. Just give me a holler."

Aeris smiled again. "Thank you Jessie. I will."

****

Tifa laughed heartily as Cloud told her jokes of his times together with Zack during the past eight years. Cloud was sitting perfectly upright on his bed while Tifa was once again sitting in the chair next to him. 

"Are you serious?" Tifa asked, rubbing tears of laughter from her eyes. Zack actually attacked his own Chocobo when the two of you were first trying to catch one?"

Cloud nodded as he was shaking with laughter. "Yes! It was hilarious. Zack is always trying to show off to everyone. It doesn't matter who they are."

Tifa nodded. "I guess…"

Tifa suddenly looked down in sadness. "I only wish my life was as eventful in the past eight years. Ever since the incident, I had traveled to Midgar and have been doing everything I could to pay Shinra back for what they did to me and my hometown. It's been like a constant nightmare."

Cloud placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Tifa… I'm sorry."

Tifa nodded and sighed heavily at the tragic memory.

Cloud slowly put his hand under Tifa's chin so that she could look him in the face. "Tifa… I've got a favor to ask you. I need to know what's been going on while I was out. How did I get here? Can you tell me what's happened to my friends?"

Tifa nodded once again and closed her eyes. "Yes Cloud. I'll tell you everything you need to know."

****

"So what's this all about?" Zack asked casually as he leaned back in one of the chairs situated in Barret's office.

Barret gave him a steady look. "Ok I'm gonna make this real short. You were training with Aeris right? I watched you. Where did you learn to fight like that? I've only seen those moves once before and based on the knowledge of who was using them at that time, it doesn't say a lot for you right now."

Zack scratched the back of his head in mild interest. "Oh? Who was using them then?"

"DON'T BULL$HIT ME!" Barret seethed in unbridled anger, slamming his fists down on his desk to emphasis his point. "Those fighting styles are only known among the Shinra. The fact that you, a mere 'mercenary', knows them says only one thing on your behalf. It says that you're a traitor spying on us!"

Zack quickly raised his arms up to ward off Barret's accusations. "Now wait just a minute! I'm not a spy for Shinra! I hate those bastards! They took away my family and my hometown! They destroyed my life! I want nothing more then to tear them apart!"

Barret glared at the young black haired man with unconvinced eyes. Finally he rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. "Look, I'm only going to ask you this once. Did you learn those moves from Shinra?"

Zack lowered his head. "… Yes…"

Barret nodded then stared straight into Zack's hazel brown eyes for what seemed like hours. Finally, the dark skinned man broke eye contact and sat back down in his chair. "To be honest, I don't know what to make of you right now. You don't have the same look about you that all the other Shinra soldiers have. I don't know were you stand but from all accounts on your behavior, I'm willing to put a temporary trust in you."

Zack broke out with a smile and prepared to speak but Barret suddenly cut him off.

"However… I'll be watching you like a hawk on this coming mission. As of right now, your loyalty is at question and depending on how you do on this first mission will determine whether I can continue to trust you or not. By your request, I held off this mission until your partner woke up. I'm sure you're aware that he is awake. Jessie's been monitoring him for the past few days and gave me the confirmation that he was awake a few minutes before I tracked you down. Now that he's up there's nothing holding us back from the mission."

Zack thought to object, willing to argue that Barret should give Cloud time to regain his strength but judging by the man's new found apprehension towards him, he decided not to chance it. Instead Zack simply nodded his head in understanding.

"Right… Notify your friends. The mission starts first thing tomorrow. Be prepared."

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Author's note: Thank you for reading. Sorry about the wait, School's been kinda bugging me for a bit but hopefully I'll get the rest of the chapters out faster. Once again, thank you and please stay tuned for chapter 12.

-Cordis


	12. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of them. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it. 

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 12

Cloud walked wearily down the hall of the Avalanche base. Every sight was a wonder to him in its own way. The simplistic sophistication of everything around him was astounding to his eyes. Yet Cloud's aim was not sight seeing. He had another more pressing objective in mind. After Tifa had told him everything about what had happened while he was out, he immediately decided to see Aeris. He wanted to make sure, with his own eyes, that the brunette, green eyed, girl was ok. As he walked down further, he thought about the offer Tifa made to him. The very same one She offered to Zack which the black haired mercenary agreed to on the event that he and Aeris also agreed. He accepted readily after hearing that their job was to attack Shinra. He wanted nothing more then to put as many dents in Shinra's plans as he could. Barret had stopped him in the hallway afterwards, informing his that he should be ready. They would be leaving out for their first mission pretty soon. He slowly pushed all of this to the back of his mind. 

Finally, he stopped in front of a room at the far left-hand side of the corridor. There was a small window where he could see inside. His heart began to race when he saw Aeris sitting peacefully on her bed. He mind began to reel through all kinds of different emotions. When he had realized Tifa was alive, he had felt exhilaration and joy, as if he were complete. Yet now, seeing Aeris again, he felt similar emotions for her. He couldn't figure out what was going on inside him. All he knew was that he needed to talk with Aeris. He needed to be with her now. 

Cloud reached out his hand to knock when suddenly a hand clapped his shoulder. 

"That… may not be such a good idea at this time old buddy."

Cloud zipped his head around with a large smile on his face. "ZACK!"

Zack grinned back and clapped Cloud's shoulder once more to show his affection at seeing his partner up and about. 

"Zack thanks for the save! Tifa told me about everything. You really came through for me that time. I guess I owe you another one huh?"

Zack smiled and suddenly began to walk down the opposite direction of the hallway, yanking cloud with him. "Never mind that, pal. Come with me."

Cloud was flustered. "Huh? Hey wait! Zack where are we going? I need to talk to Aeris, can't this wait?"

Zack turned to face him. "No. Now come on and stop stalling!" With that, he turned back around and continued his trek through the Avalanche base. Finally Zack came up to the back door and walked through. 

Cloud looked around as he was led to the back area of the base. "Wow!" He said in awe. "This place is a mess! Hey why are we out here anyway? What's going on?"

Zack let go of Cloud's shoulder then walked a few feet away and turned to face him. Zack unstrapped his buster sword and pulled it out of its sheath. He then pulled another sword from the same sheath. Cloud's sword.

Cloud looked at the whole scene curiously. He was confused and more then a little agitated at his friend's odd behavior. "Zack, enough games! What are you doing?"

Zack smiled then tossed Cloud's sword over. Cloud caught it deftly. "We're going to start training of course!" 

"What?" 

Cloud never had time to say anything else because suddenly, Zack rushed towards the unprepared mercenary. He swung an overhead blow, which Cloud barely ducked in time.

"Hey are you crazy?" Cloud asked in alarm. "Just what in the hell do you think you're doing?" 

Zack responded by striking again. Cloud quickly hopped back and parried the blow. "Damnit Zack! Answer me!"

Zack struck again and again Cloud found himself on the defensive. Zack repeated the attacks at all different angles, forcing Cloud to constantly back up from the barrage. 

"Come on Cloud! You're better then this!" Zack raved as he continued his relentless assault. "Fight back!"

Cloud was too busy Blocking and parrying Zack's blows to make any sense of what he was saying. "Zack is something wrong with you? Stop this right now!"

Zack let out an enraged roar then swung with lightning fast speed. His sword clashed loudly with Cloud's. Cloud lost his grip and suddenly his sword was careening into the air landing a few feet away from him. Before he could react, he found the tip of Zack's blade just inches away from his throat. 

Cloud looked up in anger. "Damnit Zack! What the hell?"

Zack glared at his best friend. "Yes… What the hell 'Cloud'! Why aren't you fighting back?"

"Maybe because I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS IS ABOUT?!?" Cloud's anger was now extremely livid. 

Zack took his sword away from Cloud's neck and waved over to the discarded weapon signaling for Cloud to pick it up. "We're going to keep doing this until you get it right." He said calmly.

"Get what right? Zack what are you talking about?"

"Pick up your sword Cloud."

Cloud lifted the buster sword and stared at Zack with confused eyes. 

"Now attack me! Get it right this time!"

"Wha? Zack what are you-"

"Shut up! Shut up and just attack me! Do it now!"

Cloud shook his head then assumed his fighting stance. "I don't know what this is all about Zack but here goes." 

Cloud quickly dashed towards his friend with amazing speed and preformed a vertical attack. Unfortunately for Cloud, Zack easily dodged it and then struck with an attack of his own. Cloud barely blocked it in time. Zack wasn't finished. He broke into a whirlwind of swings and thrusts. Cloud did his best to dodge and parry them all but he found that he was quickly losing ground. He had never seen Zack move like his before. It was utterly astonishing. "H- hey! Slow down!" He called out nervously. Zack ignored the plea and continued to attack. Cloud tried to retaliate and swung horizontally, hoping to force Zack back. However, the black haired mercenary simply jumped over the swing and then came down with a diagonal attack. His sword broke under Cloud's guard and suddenly Cloud was clutching his abdomen in pain. 

Zack took a few steps back and wiped the blood from his sword. He then tossed Cloud a cure materia.

Cloud caught the materia with ease and immediately used it to heal himself. "Real nice treatment for someone who just woke up from a coma! JUST WHAT IN THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM ZACK?" He seethed in anger. 

Zack matched his tone. "RIGHT NOW YOU'RE MY PROBLEM! STAND UP CLOUD!"

Cloud glared at his friend but slowly stood up. Zack's voice softened. 

"Look, I know you just woke up from a coma and all but you need to be focused. Mentally and physically."

"What do you mean by mentally?"

"Listen Cloud, I'm not blind and neither is anyone else in this base. I understand what you're going through right now. I found out Tifa was your old childhood friend and I can guess what's going on through your mind about her and Aeris both."

"Zack I see your concern in all of this but I'd like to think I'm mature enough to handle my own love life."

"You aren't listening to what I'm saying! How you deal with your relationship issues is your business. I won't intrude. What does concern me is your conduct!"

"My conduct? What are you talking about?"

In answer to his question, Zack charged at Cloud, swinging his sword in a vertical attack. The blond haired mercenary quickly ducked out of the way then lifted his own sword up in defense. 

"Look at yourself! You're better then this! I know you are!"

Zack swung again and this time Cloud parried the blow. "What does my conduct have to do with my love life? You're not making any sense Zack!"

Zack broke off the attack then lunged in again with a barrage of swift attacks. Cloud did his best to block but found that he was overwhelmed. Every time Cloud missed a block Zack would quickly turn his blade so that the flat end hit Cloud in his unguarded areas. 

In no time at all, Cloud fell to his knee, leaning on his buster sword for support. Zack stood in front of him, looking down on his friend with disgust. 

"That's what I'm talking about Cloud. No pun intended but you're on cloud 9 buddy. You want to get your love life in order and all that stuff, that's fine with me but the moment it gets in the way of your fighting ability that's when it becomes a problem. I noticed it the day I saved you from that turk."

Cloud narrowed his eyes. "What? He poisoned me! How was I supposed to fight when I couldn't even see a damn thing?"

Zack chuckled softly. "And how was he able to poison you? You lowered your defenses. You blocked out everything that makes a mercenary worth his pay! Look Cloud, when I saw you lying there that day it was a real wake up call for me. It made me see that I may not always be there to watch your back. You've got to fend for yourself! If not just for yourself then for the others whom you have sworn you would protect!"

Cloud didn't say anything. Zack's words were ringing painfully true. He knew that he had promised to keep Aeris safe yet he failed to protect her. He failed and had Zack not come, Aeris would have been Shinra's prisoner once more.

Finally Cloud lowered his head in defeat. "I… I guess you're right… So what do you suppose I should do?"

Zack lowered his sword and sighed. "Do whatever you can to live the life you want to live. Whatever choices you make with Aeris and Tifa, you're going to have to live with for the rest of you life. However, when you're in combat its important that you put that to the back of your head. Otherwise you'll lose. You'll lose and I may not be there to cover up your mistake. On our whole trip to Midgar, you were wondering around like some lovesick idiot. Now that's all good and fine but when you're in hostile areas, that can prove to be a fatal mistake. Look, Cloud all I'm saying is that you need to be aware of your own thoughts. Control them so that you don't lose sight of the moment. Do you understand?"

Cloud nodded sagely. "Yeah… Yeah I see what you're getting at Zack… I just… I don't know what to do. Tifa's alive. I mean that's great but I feel something really deep for her. I've always felt a special emotion for her but now, after all these years, it's like it just resurfaced or something. And then I have these feelings for Aeris as well. I can't explain either one of these emotions. They're just there you know?"

"Just take your time… Don't rush things. Everything will fall into place with time. However, for right now you've got more pressing matters. Just take my advice and think about that stuff when there's time to think about it. The mission's tomorrow and we're going up against Shinra! The king of all opponents! You've absolutely got to be at your best or you won't make it." 

Cloud nodded then slowly a smile came to his face. "Thanks pal, although you've got an odd way of telling me all of this. I know I'm not so dense that you've gotta beat the sense into me."

Zack laughed merrily at the comment. "Well I don't know! Some times you can be pretty hardheaded."

Cloud smirked. "Look who's talking!"

Cloud rose to his feet then hefted his sword once more. "Well then if the mission's tomorrow I guess I need all the training I can get right? So lets try this one more time. Get ready, this time I don't think I'll be such an easy target to hit."

Zack smiled and once more the two men engaged in the battle of swords. 

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Author's note: Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 13.


	13. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of them. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it.

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 13

Perhaps one of the best qualities of Midgar was its peacefulness at night. The skies, though clouded with the smog of mako during the day, were usually quite clear at night and offered a seldom kind of solace to the area below. The city was crowded with thieves and robbers and all of the usual sort however even they would remain quiet throughout the better half of the night. It was almost as if they too felt the overwhelming force of rejuvenation the night brought and would not cause too much noise so as not to disturb its work.

Unfortunately, tonight was not one of those nights. The Midgar train came to an abrupt stop directly in front of the sector four reactor. Immediately, one of the openings from the top of the train burst open. Barret quickly pulled himself from the locomotive and hopped down to ground level. He was soon followed by Jessie, Biggs and Tifa. 

One of the Shinra officers noticed the commotion and ran towards them. "Hey! Stop right were you are!"

Suddenly the side door to the train burst open and Zack rushed out impaling the man with his buster sword before he could say anything else. Zack eased the man's, now dead, body to the ground so as not to cause too much noise. Cloud, Wedge and Aeris quickly filed out of the side compartment after Zack. 

"I don't know if anyone was alerted by his shout." He said, quickly wiping the blood from his blade and sheathing it. 

Barret nodded his reply. "We'll have to assume the worst. I want everyone in that reactor in five minutes. Let's move people!"

Barret led the way as they all rushed down the sector block deeper into the heart of the reactor. They sprinted as fast as they could through winding corridors and through all kinds of different partitions. 

Barret ran up to the latest partition and slammed his back into it. "Jessie! Biggs! I need you both down here on the double." He hollered. "Get this thing open right now!" 

In no time at all, Biggs and Jessie were at the front line. Jessie punched in a series of command, then she ran to one side of the partition while Biggs ran over to the other side. 

"On three!" she said to her Avalanche team member. "…Two…one! Go!" 

They both pressed the switch at the same time, causing the terminal to open up. Unfortunately, a pair of Shinra guards were waiting for them on the other end. Barret and the others swiftly spun to the side as bullet fired rained out from their automatics. 

"$hit!" Barret seethed. "I guess they heard his scream after all." 

Once he heard an opening in their attack, Barret swung around and let loose with the gattling gun. He sprayed left then right. He then swung his head to the others. "Come on! Let's move!" 

As the others ran through, Cloud and co. were surprised to see that both men were dead with several bullet holes punched into their bodies. Aeris cringed inwardly at the ghastly sight. 

"I guess we better not get on his bad side." Zack muttered,speading up after the Avalanche leader. 

As they ran further, more Shinra guards ran out in front of them, blocking their path. 

"We can't afford to be slowed down by them!" Barret shouted then trained his gun arm towards the oncoming threat and opened fire. 

Jessie, Biggs and Wedge also opened fired on the Shinra troopers. At some points they would jump to the side to take cover from oncoming bullets. However Barret was unheeded and continued his relentless assault. 

"That damned fool is going to get himself killed!" Cloud quickly ran up along side the dark skinned man and hacked at the nearest Shinra soldier. Two others quickly ran to either side of him and opened fire. Cloud deftly dodged to the side, weaving through their rain of bullets with lightning speed. Then he swiftly closed in on the man to his right and sliced his gun in half. The man continued his attack by pulling out a dagger and lunging for him. Cloud parried the attack with his huge sword then brought it down in a diagonal slice. The man fell limply to the ground. 

Cloud heard the sounds of a gun cocking and he quickly dodged to the left just as a few bullets passed dangerously close to his shoulder. Cloud ran in a zig zag pattern towards the gunman until he was right up on him. The poor man desperately pulled out a hand grenade and tossed it at him. Cloud moved to the side then preformed a horizontal strike, cutting the man in half. 

He scrambled for cover as another rain of bullets were fired in his direction. Cloud wiped the blood from his buster sword and prepared to charge again when the bullets suddenly stopped. He peered from his cover only to see Barret standing there with his gun arm smoking. "We got em! Let's go!" He shouted then ran off once again. Jessie, Biggs and Wedge ran after him, trying their best to keep up. 

Cloud got up from his cover as Zack, Tifa and Aeris ran past him. "That guy's got a death wish." Cloud grumbled then followed up along side Zack. 

****

President Shinra sat back lazily in his plush chair. Life was good. He was a rich man in control of one of the most prominent cities on the continent. He could give any order at the wave of a hand and he would get away with it. He was in total control. Yes nothing was better then this, in his mind. 

He opened up one of his side drawers and pulled out a fresh cuban cigar. Lighting it with his thousand-dollar lighter. He flipped a switch opening a line to his secretary.

"Yes sir? May I help you?"

He smiled back at the beautiful red haired woman staring at him from her terminal. It wouldn't be so hard possessing her. All he needed to do was give the order. He fully intended on carrying out this order however he decided to bide his time. He was sure the young woman knew of his hunger for her. He wanted her to dread it every day of her life. He wanted her to wait in fear until his declaration. He loved the fear others had of him. He was in control. Whatever he wanted, he always got. Fortunately for her, today he was not looking for sensual amusement. 

"Janice," He said with his usual half smirk half smile. "Make a note, I'm thinking about raising taxes again. Let's say… by about 15 % this time eh?"

"Yes sir, very good sir." She said in the usual dead pan voice, which she struggled to sound cheerful with. 

Shinra closed the connection laughing cruelly to himself. _'She hates me.'_ He thought to himself in amusement. _'Good… Everyone should hate me! It's easier to control them that way. It's easier to know they fear me that way!'_

Suddenly there was a beep coming from the left side of his desk. Shinra sighed in annoyance then flipped the switch opening his second terminal screen. "What is it?" He hissed in an annoyed voice.

There was a skinny looking Shinra officer on the other end. The man looked frail and puny to Shinra's eyes. He absently pondered firing the man. He honestly didn't know how these weaklings were able to get into his army at all. 

"I'm sorry to disturb you sir!" The man said in a slightly fearful voice. "But we have a situation down here that greatly requires your attention."

"What is it now?" He asked angrily.

"Well sir… it seems that the renegade Avalanche group has attacked again. They are currently attacking our sector 4 reactor."

"Damnit!" The President hissed in anger! "It's time I took care of that meddling group once and for all. If they succeed in destroying our reactor, it will be the third one they've hit so far."

"Your orders sir?"

A crude smile slowly formed on Shinra's face. "Do what you can to stop them."

"Should we deploy our heavy artillery sir?"

Shinra frowned. "No, you will not get any extra support. Use the resources you have and stop them!"

"But sir-"

"They are not worth the money my artillery costs! And if you can't stop them with your current numbers then you're not worth my costs either! Now don't bother me again!"

Shinra smiled inwardly to himself. He knew the Shinra guards couldn't hold off Avalanche. They would lose. Yet that was what he wanted. He would use them as bait. Once Avalanche succeeded in their mission he would be waiting for them. He would personally make sure that they no longer posed as a thorn in his side. 

He wanted to laugh then and there at the expression on the poor trooper's face.

"Y-yes sir…" The man stuttered. "We'll do our best to hold them off."

"I expect more from you then your best Soldier! You will stop them! That's what I pay you for! Now get off my line!"

"Yes sir." The man said fearfully. 

"Oh and one more thing." Shinra said before closing the connection. "After you relay that order you might as well pack your bags. You're fired." Shinra closed the monitor, laughing loudly in his office.

****

"Move it! The entrance is right up ahead!" Barret hollered. They were now in the main entrance block of the sector 4 reactor core. The whole area was a long narrow strip towards the towering heart of the reactor. 

Barret raced towards it at full tilt while the others followed closely behind. Suddenly a loud scream rang out in the air followed by rapid gunfire. 

"They're here!" Wedge screamed, opening up on the intruding Shinra soldiers with his M16 automatic. Biggs ran to his aid, giving him cover fire. 

"We can't worry about them!" Barret screamed. "We need to keep moving or they'll box us in!"

"Too late!" Tifa yelled. Directly in front of them, another swarm of Shinra troops ran towards them from in front of the reactor. 

"No place to go now but forward." Zack said silently as he brandished his sword.

"MOVE!" Barret yelled suddenly. "WE'LL CUT THROUGH THEM!"

The Avalanche members ran forward fighting relentlessly to break through the defensive. 

One of the Shinra troops brandished his sword and jumped high into the air from behind them. Aeris looked back in alarm as the man came swooping towards her with his sword gleaming in the light. There was no time to react. Aeris closed her eyes as she prepared herself for the painful attack. 

Aeris eyes widened as the man's blade, just inches away from her face, was suddenly blocked by a huge silver buster sword. 

Zack was locking swords with Aeris attacker, effectively shielding her from the rest of the Shinra invaders as well. "Move it!" He yelled, straining against the soldier's strength. "I'll hold them off here. You all get to the reactor core and take it down!"

"But Zack!" Aeris protested. "You can't hold them all off by yourself!"

"I'll stay and back him up." Cloud said, moving towards Zack. 

Barret quickly grabbed his shoulder. "No! You're skill will be better spent down in the reactor core. Biggs, you and Wedge back him up. The rest of us will head down to the reactor and make sure it's taken out." Barret leaned in close to Biggs ear. "And keep an eye on him too, got it."

Biggs nodded then walked alongside Wedge to aid the black haired mercenary. 

"Ok then." Barret said in a serious voice. "Lets move people! Time's wasting."

As they ran off towards the Reactor core, Aeris looked once more towards Zack who was now facing off with 5 Shinra soldiers at once. 

"Be careful…" Aeris said silently into the wind.

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Author's Note: Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 14.


	14. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of them. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it. 

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 14

Cloud ran at full speed following Barret down the corridor. He was beginning to become agitated at how long the passageway was leading. Once again they were on another catwalk, except this one was more narrow then the other and the pit was engulfed in the dark glow of mako energy. He clenched his fists nervously as thoughts of Zack washed through his mind. 

"Pick it up Cloud!" Barret yelled, breaking him away from his morbid thoughts. "The reactor's just up ahead! Keep your wits about you! We gotta be ready for anything."

Cloud nodded crisply and sped up. 

Not too far behind him, Aeris was having similarly troubling thoughts. She constantly thought back to that instance when Zack had heroically saved her. _'I can't believe I froze… what's wrong with me. I know how to fight now. Why can't I defend myself?' _

Aeris forcefully shook these troubling thoughts from her mind. She had failed to fight for herself the first time but now she was determined to not let that insecurity stop her again. She gripped the staff in her hands tightly. She absently thought back to the night before when jessie had given it to her. 

****

__

"Here you go Aeris!"

"What's this for?"

"You're going to be going on the mission tomorrow right? You'll need something a little stronger then a pipe won't you?"

Aeris blushed. "Yes… I guess so but… well… this is asking too much from you. You've already helped me out a great deal. I couldn't-" 

"Don't worry about it Aeris. Just take it. It may save your life tomarrow."

****

Aeris focused her attention back on her staff. It was finely carved and beautifully designed to Aeris eyes. Jessie had told her it was a special staff that was handed down to the Avalanche members when they had first started in their war against Shinra. It was given to them by the Elder of Cosmo Canyon as a symbol of support for their cause. Since no one in Avalanche fought with a staff at the time, they merely put it away in a safe place, never really bothering to use it. Finally, Jessie decided that, after seeing Aeris fight, the staff was destined to be with her. 

Aeris closed her eyes slowly. _'I hope I can live up to such an honor.'_

"Hey!" Tifa called from next to her. "Are you ok? You don't look to good."

Aeris nodded briskly, training her mind back to the present situation at hand. "Yeah I'm fine. Just thinking that's all."

"Better be careful of that."

Aeris gave a quizzical eye. "Excuse me?"

"It's not good to think too much on a mission." Tifa elaborated. "It has a tendency of getting people killed."

"Oh…. Thanks."

"Not a problem." Tifa said with fake cheerfulness in her voice. Aeris was a nice girl to talk to and all that but she couldn't help feeling slightly jealous of her connection with Cloud. 

"Hey you two! Get over here!" Barret's loud voice boomed in from the distance. Tifa and Aeris quickly rushed towards them.

Cloud and Barret had finally made it to the reactor core and were now currently standing at the end of the long narrow corridor. Cloud found himself mesmerized at the sight of the large device in front of him. _'Is this really the core for the sector 4 reactor?' _He thought to himself in wonder. 

"So how do we go about this?" He asked, turning towards Barret.

"Right. Stand back. I'm going to activate the detonator device. I'll set the timer for about 10 minutes. That should give us enough time to get clear of the blast."

"Ok." Cloud pulled out his long Buster sword and held it at the ready. "If any trouble comes down this way I'll make sure it doesn't reach you while you work."

"Good." Barret pulled out the detonator and the equipment needed to attach it to the reactor, then scrambled to the task at hand. Jessie walked up alongside to assist him. Meanwhile Aeris and Tifa stood next to Cloud, providing backup. 

Immediately afterwards, a loud noise rang out overhead. 

"What the hell?" Cloud grumbled, tightening his grip on his buster sword. 

The sound grew louder and more oppressive as it got closer to them. Cloud and the others clutched their ears in pain as the horrendous blare grew even louder.

"What is that?" Tifa asked through clenched teeth. 

"I don't know." Cloud replied. "Be ready. If my guess is correct, we're going to be in for a fight in no time."

As if in response to Cloud's comment, a huge Mechanical artillery robot came sailing down on them. Aeris quickly jumped out of the way as the thing nearly landed on her. 

"Aeris are you alright?" Cloud asked running up to her. 

"Yeah don't worry about me… Look out!"

Too late. Cloud looked up only to see a huge metal barrier heading his way. Before he could react, the barrier hit him at full force, knocking him painfully to the wall. 

Tifa immediately reacted and rammed her fist into the back of the robot. The machine turned around and trained its gattling guns on her. 

"Tifa!" Aeris screamed. She pushed herself to her feet then ran forth and struck her staff against the guns, throwing the aim off to the side. 

Tifa ducked slightly while the bullets zipped by her shoulder. "Thanks." She muttered then got back up to her feet. 

The machine trailed back away from the group some then slowly the insides of it began to open and two large arms came out of it. Each arm had its own beam cannon. 

"Uh oh." Aeris said as each of the extensions began to pulsate. 

"Both of you get out of the way!" Cloud yelled from behind them. He was still shaking the dizziness from his head while rising up to his feet. "I can take care of this. You two cover me!"

"But Cloud-"

Before Tifa could finish, Cloud ran in towards the machine. It trained its cannons towards him and fired. Cloud deftly leapt over the deadly attack and landed behind the mechanical monstrosity. 

"Eat this!" He said, roughly driving his sword deep into its cooling vents. The machine twitched a bit then stopped all together. The charging cannons began glowing hot read and suddenly the machine began to melt from the inside. 

"Wow! Way to go Cloud!" Aeris squealed in glee. She was slowly becoming invigorated by the heat of battle. 

"Get back!" Cloud yelled forcefully. "This thing may blow up at any second." He lowered his blade then ran a few steps towards Barret. "How much more time do you need?" 

"Just a few more minutes then we're all set."

Cloud nodded but didn't see as the machine behind him suddenly came to life once again. 

"Cloud behind you!" Aeris and Tifa both screamed at once. This time Cloud reacted in time. The machine charged in to ram him. Cloud swiftly dodged to the side then swung his sword forth, slicing off its right arm. 

"How the hell can it still be moving after overheating like that?" He grunted in anger. The machine twirled to the right, nearly catching him with its left arm. Cloud ducked and jumped back a few steps. 

Tifa closed in again delivering a dolphin kick to its back. The robot jerked forward from the force. Aeris quickly erased her shock at how powerful Tifa's attack was and ran in to attack the monster next. She weeved in closer to the unprotected openings where the arms had come from. With a forceful jerk, Aeris struck the end of her staff into the robot's main circuitry. 

Immediately, the machine was engulfed in electricity as it began to convulse violently. 

"Nice shot Aeris!" Cloud yelled then ran up to the machine once more. It swiftly turned around and fired off another one of its beams. Cloud barely dodged the attack as part of the beam ripped through the side of his shirt. 

Cloud ran in faster and swung horizontally, further gutting the machine in its weak spot. He jumped back as the thing began to lose balance. The sparks flying off its coolant vents were starting to worry Cloud greatly. 

"This thing's gonna pop at any second now. Barret how much more time?"

"Almost done." Came the dark man's distracted reply.

Cloud found only one solution left. With all the speed he could muster, he ran in towards the machine once more and drove his sword into the side of the machine, driving it over the edge of the catwalk using the momentum of his attack. 

Cloud roughly yanked his sword free of the machine as it plummeted listlessly towards the bottom of the reactor core. 

Suddenly the whole structure began to shake violently. The whole tunnel where the machine had fallen quickly burst into flames. Several explosions could be heard at other ends of the reactor as well. 

"Damnit!" Cloud swore as he fell back on to the catwalk. "I must have set off some kind of a chain reaction."

Tifa kneeled down to his aid. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine Tifa. But how's Barret doing over there?"

"We're all set." Barret said, standing up and running towards them. Jessie quickly packed up her tool supplies and followed pace. 

"Uhh guys I think we need to get out of here…" Aeris said as she looked down the bottom of the catwalk from the other side of the reactor core. "Like right now!" She continued anxiously. Barret walked up next to her and looked down curiously to see what she was so worried about. He immediately brought his head back and yanked her arm. 

"$HIT! Come on people! The girl's right! Let's get the hell out of here! This whole place is gonna blow and if that fire reaches the reactor before we get to safety then we can all kiss our @sses goodbye!"

Cloud stood up with the help of Tifa and they quickly followed the others.

Barret ran as fast as he could. A loud beeping noise came from his belt. Still running at full speed, he pulled out the device and brought it up to his lips. "This is Barret, what is it?"

"Zack here. We've got explosion's coming all out of the woodwork here, what the hell is going on down there? Are you guys ok?"

"We're fine Zack, just taking care of some Shinra trash. How are things up top?"

"We managed to clear the guards out momentarily but I don't know how long that's gonna last. You guys better hurry it up!"

"We really don't have much of a choice. That explosion is likely to reach the detonator. If it goes off, we're all done for."

"What?"

"Just wait for us up top Zack. We'll be there as fast as we can! Over and out." And with that, Barret closed the connection and attached the communicator back on his belt. "Let's move people!" He said, running faster. Tifa and Cloud had managed to catch up with the rest of the group and now they were all running at full tilt. 

A loud hiss rang out in the air and suddenly the floor burst open right next to Tifa. Jessie quickly pushed her out of the way as flames erupted from the protrusion. Unfortunately she lost her footing and tumbled into the steam-filled hole. At the last minute, Jessie gripped the edge of the hole with both hands, ignoring the scalding pain and she held on for dear life.

"NO!" Tifa screamed as she saw her friend hanging helplessly over the edge. Cloud rushed up to her and threw his arm out. "Grab my hand!" He yelled. 

Jessie reluctantly released her right hand from the edge of the hole. Cloud grabbed it tightly and quickly yanked her up. Immediately, the hole erupted again with fiery flames and acrid fumes. Cloud looked on at the close call and sighed heavily. "Are you ok?" He asked. 

Jessie grimaced as she looked down at her badly burnt leg. Cloud knitted his brows together in determination then kneeled down. "Climb up on my back." He said. "I'll carry you out."

"But you can't! I'll be too much of a burden."

"Just do it!" Cloud yelled back.

"Hurry up!" Tifa prompted as she saw the flames quickly becoming more erratic. Jessie climbed onto Cloud's back and he quickly hoisted her up and ran faster towards Barret and the others. 

****

Zack looked anxiously back and forth from the entrance of the reactor core to the long narrow catwalk. He clutched his sword in growing agitation. 

"Where are they?" Biggs grumbled, voicing Zack's own thoughts. 

"They'll be here soon. Just be patient." He said, wishing he could believe those words himself. 

The door quickly burst open and out came Barret, running at full speed. He stopped slightly to look back at them all. 

"Come on! There's no time to waste! That detonator could go off at any second now!"

"Where's Cloud and the rest?" Zack asked.

"Right behind you!" Came Cloud's voice from inside the reactor. Aeris and Tifa were running along side him while Jessie was hoisted up over his back. "Lets get the hell out of here!"

A smile rose up to Zack's face as he saw that his friends were relatively unhurt. "Ok, let's beat it!"

Together they all ran as fast as they could up the ramp. The ground began to shake violently beneath them. Huge chunks of the upper parts of the structure began tumbling down over them. The exit to the long catwalk was still far in the distance. 

"Move!" Barret yelled at the top of his lungs. "This whole place is falling apart!"

"We're moving as fast as we can!" Zack yelled back.

"We won't make it outta here in time!" Wedge moaned dejectedly. 

Cloud caught something out the corner of his eye. "Hey everyone, over here! I think I see something!"

Cloud swiftly veered to the left. Much to the surprise of everyone else, directly under the catwalk they were currently on, was another catwalk that lead into a side corridor leading out. "If we take that partition out, we may have a chance of getting out of here faster."

"The risk is too great!" Barret said stubbornly. "We better just stick to the plan!"

"The hell with that!" Zack pitched in. "If we stick to the plan then we're all dead meat!"

"I… think we should take the risk." Aeris Added. 

"I agree with Aeris on this one." Tifa said.

Barret looked at everyone under his current command. "So then I take it your all willing to go with this plan?" 

Everyone nodded in agreement. 

"Fine then. We'll play it your way for now. You better be right." Without another word, Barret quickly jumped over the edge onto the next catwalk then ran up to the partition. "Jessie! I need you and Biggs to get this thing open on the double!" 

The two Avalanche members quickly followed suit. Everyone else began filing after them. Zack clutched Cloud's shoulder. "Hey good work buddy. You may very well have just saved our lives."

Cloud turned to Zack and was about to reply when suddenly the ground shook violently once more. Both Cloud and Zack tumbled down onto the second level. Zack pushed himself up off the ground then hoisted Cloud up to his feet. "Damn! This place is tearing apart! Let's get out of here!"

Cloud nodded then stood up. Together they quickly dashed for the door. 

Barret and the others were already through the partition and running through the catwalk on the other side. Biggs was now carrying the injured Jessie on his back. "Hurry up!" They could hear Aeris frantic voice yelling from across the door. 

Zack and Cloud ran through the opening and sped up closer towards the group. "It look's like there's an exit at the end of the hall over there!" Zack said with a smile. 

Cloud nodded but only ran faster. "We better catch up or it may not matter for us!"

Suddenly Zack jumped back, yanking Cloud along with him as bullets sprayed across the ground in front of them. 

"What the hell?" Barret said from the other side of the walkway. 

"THAT IS FAR ENOUGH AVALANCHE!"

Everyone looked up to see a Shinra helicopter lowering dangerously close to the catwalk. The door swung open revealing the robust form of President Shinra. He smiled arrogantly as he regarded them all. "Well well well… If it isn't the infamous group who have proven themselves to be a very annoying thorn in my side."

Barret growled in anger. "Shinra you bastard! Get down here so I can give you a 'proper' greeting!" He hoisted his gun arm to add emphasis. 

This only amused Shinra more. "Hmph, unlike you, I am not that stupid. No I don't think I will be lifting a finger against you. It is not a president's place to deal with such insignificant problems after all. That's what he has underlings for."

"You arrogant, conceited, bastard! Be a man and fight me!" 

"I'm sorry but I really don't feel like it. You do not pose enough of a threat for me to break my nails over. But don't feel too bad. I've brought a replacement whom I am sure can keep you occupied." He then smiled devilishly. "At least long enough for the reactor to blow up. I really must commend you on a job well done. This catastrophe seems to be powerful enough to take out the whole reactor area. I'll wager there's about roughly… 3 minutes left before the whole place goes KABOOM!" The President broke out into hardy laughs as the helicopter began to rise once more. "Farewell Avalanche, be assured to know that your deaths will be made as an example to others who dare to defy my rule."

With that, the helicopter took off and flew away. 

"That bastard!" Barret seethed, shaking his gun arm up at the retreating figure. 

However, he stopped in mid-swing as he saw a large object heading straight for them. It came plunging from the skies like a meteor then crashed down hard on the concrete in-between them. Much to Cloud's shock, it was nearly an exact replica of the same robot they fought earlier in the Reactor core. However this one was different. It had more artillery then the other with huge rocket launchers on its back and blades attached to its gun arms. 

"Be careful." Zack said, unsheathing his buster sword. "This thing could be quite a problem."

"No kidding!" Cloud commented from next to him, likewise unsheathing his own sword. "We just got finished fighting a robot similar to this one in the reactor core. They don't go down easy."

Zack grinned slightly. "Then we'll just have to hit harder!" He quickly ran up to the machine, then swung his sword towards its left gun arm. The robot seemed to sense the attack and dodged accordingly. 

"$hit!" Zack hissed then came back around, swinging the other way. Cloud followed in, stabbing at the armor casing on the robots back. 

"They need our help!" Aeris said from on the other side of the machine.

"Damn! That bastard Shinra really nailed us good this time!" Barret grumbled.

Jessie Biggs and Wedge all took their places and began firing on the attacking robot. 

Barret stood back to follow suit. "Tifa run in on its blind side. See if you can knock out it's location monitors. If you take those out, it won't be able to track us and we can make a break for it. The rest of you give her an opening but make sure not to fire too close!" They all nodded and Tifa rushed in with her attack. Aeris ran in next to her, twirling her staff like a baton.

"What are you doing?" Tifa said as she ran up closer to the robot.

"I can fight too!" Aeris said then rushed up and struck her staff into the robot's side. 

Tifa grumbled then followed up with a round-house kick to the neck of the droid.

The robot spun around, preparing to hit back on the two girls. Cloud, seeing an opening, rushed in and dug his sword into the machine's right arm. It wagged around violently, spinning Cloud in every direction. 

"Damnit! Hold on Cloud I'm coming!" Zack yelled. He ran in close, then drove his sword home inside the robot's chest cavity. The Machine began to convulse repeatedly. It whipped out it's other arm and rammed it hard into an unsuspecting Zack. The black haired mercenary flew back landing painfully onto the ground. 

"Zack!" Aeris cast a concerned look towards the downed mercenary then looked back towards Cloud who was still being flung around wildly.

"Aeris stand back!" 

Aeris turned to see a very calm Tifa. But that wasn't what surprised her so much. Tifa was now glowing with energy as it emanated from her body.

Aeris stood back looking in awe at the dark haired renegade. Tifa suddenly snapped her eyes open and rushed towards the robot with lightening speed. 

"BEAT RUSH!" She screamed as she pummeled the robot continuously with her fists. The machine reeled violently from every attack. It's arm flung out, throwing Cloud high into the air and sending him crashing down to the ground below. 

After the last hit the machine sagged back, sparks shooting violently out from its insides. However, Tifa wasn't done. She quickly followed up with a dolphin kick, which smashed the face plate off and dealt a critical blow to its main sensors. Finally she finished it up with a power punch which caved in the chest, pushing the robot back even further. 

Tifa fell to the ground in exhaustion as the energy slowly left her body. Barret and the other Avalanche members stood back in shock. 

"Wow good work!" Barret said. "Now let's clear out! We're still on a time limit people!"

Tifa looked up at her handiwork then suddenly gasped as she caught sight of Cloud's still form. 

Aeris saw Tifa's concerned look and held her hand out to stop her. "Don't worry about it Tifa. I'll get him."

Zack groggily lifted himself up off the ground shaking his head vigorously. This was definitely not one of his days. He looked up and saw that the machine wasn't moving. 

"What happened?" He asked curiously.

Aeris smiled as she ran up to the dark haired mercenary. "Tifa took care of him. Don't worry, we've won." 

Zack smiled then took a tentative step forward towards Cloud. "Let's get the hell out of here!"

Cloud's eyes fluttered open. He shifted then clutched the side bar trying to stand up.

"Hey Cloud, you ok?" Zack asked in concern.

"Yeah, I'm-"

****

BOOOOM

Suddenly the reactor core erupted in flames throwing a forceful wind their way. Everyone fell back against the sidebars. The robot tipped over while Zack slammed into the ground a few feet away from the machine. He heard a faint beeping sound, which caused him to look up in interest. 

His eyes quickly widened in surprise. "Oh hell!" He hissed then pushed himself up to his feet. "Everyone run! This machine was set on a self destruct timer!" 

"Move!" Barret yelled running towards the exit. 

Zack bit his lip looking up at Barret and the other retreating Avalanche members. _'We won't be able to catch up with them in time!' _

Zack grabbed Cloud's arm. "Cloud, Aeris! We gotta run the other way! We won't make it if we follow them!"

Cloud cast a worried look towards the Avalanche members then ran towards the already retreating forms of Zack and Aeris. 

After only a few feet, the machine erupted into a huge explosion. The momentum sent Cloud flying violently over the edge. He screamed in alarm as he disappeared into the mist below.

"CLOUD!" Zack yelled then ran towards where his comrade had fallen. The following explosions grew louder and more apparent. Suddenly the whole catwalk was engulfed in fire and smoke. Aeris screamed in fear as a huge brick fell towards her. Zack yanked her out of the way and clutched her in his arms just before the boulder hit. "Hold on to me!" He yelled then ran towards the opposite exit. Unfortunately, the supports broke apart and the catwalk slowly crumbled beneath them. Zack and Aeris screamed as they plummeted towards the endless pit of darkness below. The last thing Zack saw was the blurred form of Tifa running towards the edge of the catwalk, calling out Cloud's name in vain. The rest was darkness.

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

****

Author's note: _Thanks for reading. Please be aware that I may not have captured Tifa's limit break to the exact replica of the one in the game. My apologies for that. I haven't played in a while and so I'm not positively sure. I hope that hasn't taken away from the story in any way. Please stay tuned for chapter 15._


	15. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it. 

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 15

Aeris shuddered slightly as she opened her eyes amidst the cold breeze brushing against her shoulders. Everything was a blur. Pushing herself up into a sitting position, she stared at her surroundings in mild interest. 

"Uhhh…"

The noise came directly beside her. Looking that way with eyes still blurry from just waking up, she could see the outline of a spiky haired man lying next to her. Aeris gasped as recollection seized her. 

"Cloud… Cloud is that you?"

To her misfortune, as her vision began to focus more clearly, she noticed the man had black hair instead of Cloud's golden blond. Aeris rubbed her eyes vigorously, desperately trying to remember what had happened to her. Why wasn't Cloud here? Why was she in this cold place with this stranger. Although… he wasn't a stranger. She knew him she just couldn't figure out from where. 

__

'The last thing I remember was… We were fighting against Shinra.' Aeris looked down in sadness. It was no surprise to her. One way or another, Shinra always found a way to ruin her life. 

She roughly slapped her face. _'No Aeris! Stop feeling sorry for your self and just think!'_ She told herself mentally. _'Try to remember where you are…'_

Aeris looked up once more into the cloudy sky, trying to find some vague reminder to cling to; something that would trigger her memory. However, all she got was a ruined mako stench drifting through the air along with the billowy smoke of a previous fire. 

__

'…Smoke…Smoke! That's it! We were fighting Shinra! There was lots of smoke. We were too busy fighting the robots to notice it at the time. The robot… Oh God! Cloud! Cloud fell over the edge! We fell too… Me and Zack… Zack?……ZACK!!!!'

Aeris quickly broke out of her reverie and trained her eyes once more on the black haired man lying next to her. 

"ZACK! Oh God! Are you ok!?! Wake up! Wake up please!" 

Anxiety began to fill her voice as she continued looking at the dark haired mercenary. His face was completely matted in blood. His shoulder and arm were both broken in several places and it seemed that he was bleeding internally. 

Aeris desperately clutched his shoulders and shook him violently. _'He must have absorbed most of the fall when we landed! To save me!' _

"Wake up Zack! Please!" 

Aeris was now trembling with fear. She was terrified. She had no idea what to do. He was badly injured. And to make matters worse, there was no sign of Cloud anywhere. She snapped her head up, tears trailing down her soft cheeks. 

"CLOUD!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "CLOUD WHERE ARE YOU?!? PLEASE TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE!"

…No answer. 

She began to fall into a fit of sobs. She didn't know what to do. Cloud could be in trouble. Maybe in even worse shape then Zack and here she was lying around with no way to get to him. And then there was Zack. The very sight of him now made her blood run cold. _'I… I don't know what to do… There's so much blood… what can I do? What can I possibly do?'_

Aeris lifted her head up once more. "SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP US! PLEASE!"

…No answer. 

She bowed her head, weeping even more in her endless turmoil. _'What should I do… What should I do…'_

**__**

'…Aeris… Aeris listen to me…'

Suddenly, Aeris opened her eyes to find herself in a completely dark area. The saw a soft green glow directly in front of her and Zack, slowly descending to become even closer. Aeris recognized this glow immediately. It's warmth and kindness would never leave her heart. She eagerly reached out towards it.

'Mother?!? Mother it's so dark… so cold! Why can't I see you?'

**__**

'Shhh… Aeris don't cry honey. Listen to me… you must use your gift.'

__

'My gift? But mom I can't! Remember! I promised to never use my gift again! You made me promise you, that day… that day you died…'

**__**

'I know honey… but sometimes you need to do what you know is right. This young man needs you now. You must use your gift to save him…'

__

'Mom…' 

**__**

'You must hurry! He will not last much longer!'

__

'Mom…what about Cloud. H- he needs my help too! I can't just abandon him!'

**__**

'Nor can you afford to abandon this man either. Aeris you must do what you know is right. You have a power now, a power in you capable of saving this man's life. The choice is yours whether or not you use it… Aeris do what you know is best… Do what is in your heart…'

Aeris began to shake, breathing in the ice cold air around her. She didn't know what else to do. She was lost… she was alone again. 

**__**

'No Aeris… You will never be alone… I will always be with you. Remember that sweety… Your mother will always be with you…'

The glow slowly engulfed her in a soft light, temporarily dousing the cold breeze that had been assaulting her. A surge of light softly invaded her being causing a sharp intake of breath. 

**__**

'Feel the power of the Ancients Aeris. Feel the power of our people! This is my final gift to you. Use it wisely. Only you can determine your own destiny. No one else can do that for you...'

The wind softly caressed her cheeks and suddenly everything was back to the way it was again. The same dirty streets, the same billowy smoke and ultimately the same menacing Shinra building hanging high overhead in the horizons. Aeris gently brushed the last tear from her eye, new confidence now suddenly taking over from within her._ '…Ok Mom… I'll do what you want… I'll do what is best…'_

Aeris closed her eyes and gently placed her hands on Zack's chest. In a matter of seconds, their bodies began to glow in a dull green light. A single thought constantly passed through her mind. _'I shall do what is best…'_

****

The ground burned brightly under the ruins of the sector 4 reactor. Metal was melted down into its basic components from the sheer heat of the fire. Nothing could have survived such a catastrophe. 

However, almost in defiance of that law, a figure did slowly emerge from the burning wreck. Like a blazing phoenix, the figure ripped itself free from the confines of rubble and fallen wreckage to emerge victorious once more. That phoenix…was Cloud. 

Cloud stood at the top of the mound, looking over at the area around him with bleary eyes._ 'How did I get here?' _He thought to himself._ 'How did I survive? I couldn't have survived such a fall. I couldn't have…'_

Cloud quickly scanned himself to check if he was bleeding or had some other form of injury which his body hadn't yet registered. His black cloak was all but non-existent now, with only shreds hanging loosely from the clasp around his neck. His dark red pants and black muscle shirt where also similarly torn. Only half of his shirt still clung to his body and his pants were severely ripped at one side and had several holes on the other. 

His body was similarly wrecked. Blood was dripping freely from the several deep gashes and cuts on his chest and arms. Blood also ran down onto one side of his face from the cut he received at the top of his head. His legs were also badly cut. 

However, Cloud ignored all of this as he slowly trudged from the burning wreck. One thought constantly assaulted his fading conscience. _'How did I survive? Why am I still alive?'_

Unfortunately, the answer to that question never came as he found himself slowly drifting; his mind too clouded and hazy for him to even see the ground as his face crashed into it. 

****

President Shinra was furious. He was now sitting upright in his chair glaring daggers at one of his most prestigious agents. 

"What do you mean they're still alive?! How the hell could they be alive after that explosion.!?! Nothing could have survived that!"

The agent merely shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Well apparently they did."

"DON'T GET SMART WITH ME TSENG!" Shinra seethed, bolting out of his chair in an angry fit. "Remember who pays your bills!"

Tseng smiled and shrugged again but said nothing. Shinra glared at the other men standing beside the agent. Aside from him and Tseng, there were two other men in his room. Shinra now glared pointedly at the scientist.

"And what do you think about this whole matter Hojo? I allowed you the view the vid cameras of their fight. What do you think would be the best way of dealing with this nuisance?"

Hojo cackled with glee. "What do I think?" He asked in a condescending tone. "Sir if I told you my own humble idea's, you would surely be adamant in rejecting them."

"Just spit it out Hojo! I have neither the time nor the patience for your riddles today!" 

"Very well sir. I have viewed the video cams and have come to the conclusion that the best option would be to apprehend our annoying enemies."

Shinra rammed his fist on the desk in anger. Hedigger, the fourth man in the room, flinched from the impact. 

"What makes you think I should allow those trouble makers anywhere near my complex? To what purposes are you scheming Hojo. I know you well enough to figure out when you're planning something."

Hojo smiled. "Ahh you know me too well sir. I have noticed something special about two of the Avalanche agents in particular. Something intriguing!"

Shinra chuckled and sat back in his chair, lighting a cigar. Though he would never admit it, he found Hojo's evil scheming highly admirable. He found the man's capacity for cruelty astonishing and always interesting to watch as his evil plans worked themselves out.

"I would assume one of these 'intriguing agents' is a certain green eyed ancient in which you have been rambling on about?"

"Not entirely sir. The ancient still merits my attention, of that you can be certain. However, there are two others who hold my immediate attention."

"I am positive it cannot be their leader. The fires of vengeance fuel that man and nothing more. He is a waste of time and resources. The other three who follow him are equally as useless. Thus, you must mean two of the three others who fought the last autonoid on the bridge before the reactor erupted."

"Indeed I do. The two men who fought in mirror patterns of each other. They intrigue me to no end."

"Ahh I am beginning to see you're pattern here. More test subjects for your continuing experiments I presume?"

"Indeed… My dear president, do think about the way they fought… does that style of fighting not remind you of someone else?"

Shinra cupped his chin in thought as he recalled the image of how the two mercenaries fought before the explosion. Suddenly it came to him. Shinra's eyes opened wide and his hand fell limply to the table. 

"But you can't mean… Not 'him'!"

"Ahh but it is. Their fighting style is painfully similar. There never existed any other whose skill could match that of the great Sephiroth but these two men come noticeably close wouldn't you think? If I could continue my research with such specimens and make the necessary enhancements, we could once again continue the plan which we thought burned to the ground in Niblehiem eight years ago."

At the mention of Sephiroth's name and his connection to the two mercenaries, Tseng became visibly nervous and apprehensive but remained silent. 

__

'They can't mean that… No they couldn't do that! He's not worthy!'

Shinra watched Tseng's unease with mild interest then turned his attention back to Hojo. 

"Your plan has great merit Hojo. Very well, we shall carry out your idea. Heddiger, I want you to devise and assault plan. Destroy sector 7! All of it! I want every single Avalanche member killed! However, make sure to capture the necessary targets as well. The ancient, and the two mercenaries. Everyone else is expendable. Dispose of them in any way you like just get them out of my hair. Tseng, I want your group specifically in charge of the apprehension." An evil smile formed on his face. "Be sure not to damage them… too bad…"

All three men nodded their heads and began to file out of the room. 

"Tseng!" Shinra called, just before he exited the room.

"Sir?" He asked, still feeling somewhat troubled over his own recent revelations. 

"You seemed to be disturbed over Hojo's idea for some reason. I want to know why!"

Tseng began to squirm nervously. "Uhh sir it's a long story."

"And I expect to hear it!" Shinra was silently amused at the Turks unease. Yet another helpless soul to torment. "I expect to hear all about it, upon your return. I expect you to have a full report ready for me within the day."

Tseng let out a shaky breath. "Very well sir."

"Dismissed." Shinra barked in a flat tone. Once the Turk was gone from his room he smiled to himself in pleasure. Once again he would be at the very top of the world. Hojo's plan would ensure his complete victory over the entire world and his final ascent into the fabled promise land. 

Shinra leaned back in his leather chair with a satisfied grin. This called for a celebration. He turned to his desk terminal and pressed a button. 

"Yes sir may I help you?" Came the female reply.

Shinra smiled evilly. "Yes Janice… I believe you can. Come to my office at once. There are… things I wish to discuss with you…"

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Author's Note: _Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 16._


	16. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no profit from it. 

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 16

Zack clutched his head in pain as he sat up on the ground of the quiet Midgar streets. _'How did I get here?'_ He thought to himself in confusion. Looking around from right to left, he slowly began to recognize his surroundings. _'Sector 5?'_

"So you're finally awake huh?"

Zack turned his head to see Aeris walking his way. "Aeris… how did we get here?"

The green-eyed girl walked up to him then sat down. "I suppose you don't remember much of what happened, do you?" She asked, closing her eyes in exhaustion.

Zack gave her a dumb look. "Uhh… not much… I remember fighting…Then… OH $hit! CLOUD!"

Zack immediately tried to rise to his feet but then fell back again. 

"Take it easy!" Aeris said anxiously then eased him back into a sitting position. "I looked everywhere…" She now said in a dejected tone. "I couldn't find him anywhere. I don't know where he is."

Zack shook his head vigorously. "I don't care! We've gotta keep looking! He may be hurt. He might need our help!"

Aeris looked at the black haired mercenary strangely, as if suddenly noticing something new about him.

Zack continued on, totally oblivious to her observations. "If we don't hurry, Cloud may die!" 

Once again the black haired mercenary tried to rise yet this time he stumbled to his knees. "Damnit!" He hissed in anger. He clutched his side in pain, then tried to stand up again. 

Aeris calmly placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Zack stop."

Zack looked at her while still trying to rise to his feet. "What do you mean stop? Cloud fell!!! Can't you see he may need our help?"

"Please… stop…" She repeated silently. 

This caught Zack off guard. He slowly complied to her demands and once again sat on the ground. The pain in his chest was really bugging him now. He lifted up his shirt in irritation only to see that there were faint traces of a scar there.

"What the…"

"You were hurt really bad." Aeris said, answering his half-unspoken question. "When I woke up you were almost dead… You took most of that fall on yourself didn't you?"

Zack turned his head slightly away. "It was nothing." He mumbled. 

Oddly enough, this angered Aeris. "What do you mean it was nothing? You were bleeding Zack! You almost died!"

Zack quickly trained his eyes to her, finally realizing the bigger picture. "Then… you healed me?" 

He again looked over at his wounds, then back at her. 

"Aeris… Thank you. You saved my life."

Aeris smiled slightly at the praise then shook her head softly. "You would have done the same thing. You did do the same thing. Many times over. I'm only now beginning to realize it."

Zack paused for a moment then smiled broadly. "I was only trying to do what's right. You're all my friends and I value that friendship. My actions are no different that those of anyone else in my situation."

"Maybe, but you've done more then enough already. You really are a great friend Zack."

Zack scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, …thanks. But Aeris… we really need to find Cloud! He may be in serious trouble."

Aeris placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I know. Listen… you stay here. You've already done your share of work. You need to sit here for a couple hours and give your body time to heal. I'll search for Cloud again. When I find him, we'll come back for you. Deal?"

"Deal." Zack replied with a smile on his face. Aeris had changed. He could see it in her eyes. No longer was she the scared person who relied on others to lead her through life. Instead of the frightened girl he had met in the bar, he now saw a determined, independent woman who was now ready to make her own way through life. Zack silently wondered to himself what brought about such a change in the green-eyed woman.

Aeris walked a few paces away. "Zack… I'll be back. Don't worry. I won't leave you behind." 

Zack tossed her a thumbs up. "I know." He said back. "I'll be waiting."

Aeris grinned. She didn't want to leave the black haired mercenary by himself but she remembered the wishes of her mother vividly now. She would continue to do what was right. Never again would she rely on others to guide her actions. She would find her own peace. Brushing a strand of hair away from her face, Aeris turned around once more and walked off into the distance.

****

Cloud opened his eyes to find himself staring up at a dusty ceiling with a swinging lamp off to the side. He blinked rapidly, remembering what had previously happened then shot upright. He promptly rubbed his head vigorously then looked around at his surroundings. 

He was lying on a small pallet in a nearly empty room. The only other things taking up space inside the small area were a few scattered magazines and a small television resting in the center. 

Cloud hesitantly stood up from his makeshift bed, clutching the wall for support. He noticed he was wearing new attire now. Rather then his usual black muscle shirt together with his crimson baggy pants, he was now wearing a pair of sweat pants while his chest was covered in bandages. 

Cloud fingered the slightly dirty material while absently taking small peeks at his injuries. 

"You really shouldn't mess with that too much." Came a heavy, soot-filled, voice in the distance. "You might get an infection if you bother your wounds too much."

Cloud's eyes snapped wide as he turned his head and stared at the man who had taken him in. The man appeared to be slightly aged. He had a mien of gray hair mixed in with a few specks of black. His thick beard had a similar color scheme. Cloud noticed that his cloths were somewhat ragged and plain. He wore a dirty overcoat with shredded pants and a woolen shirt with holes in it. He also noticed the dangerously unstable cane he leaned heavily on.

The man chuckled mildly at Cloud's tentative gaze. "Heh, I guess you're a bit surprised. I admit I'm not at the height of fashion but I hope my humble surroundings were of some service to you."

Cloud quickly shook his head, his face turning a deep crimson red. "No, no sir, not at all! I mean yes, yes of course you're surroundings are great!… I mean…"

The old man smiled warmly as Cloud continued to fumble in his mixture of apology and appreciation for what he did for him. The smile seemed to relax the flustered mercenary thus allowing him to slowly regain his composure. 

"I was just still kinda confused at how I ended up here in the first place, that's all." 

The old man nodded his head. "I assumed that was the case. I was just making a joke that's all. When you get to be my age, you have to laugh at life, otherwise you'll drown in the whirlwind of time. Not that I have much to laugh at to begin with." He stated throwing his arm out towards his few possessions. "But enough of that. My name's Draven Paxt. Now, You wanted to find out about exactly what is going on right?" The old man shifted slowly and plodded over to one side of the room, taking a seat on the floor. He motioned his arm, signaling for Cloud to do the same. 

The blonde haired man followed his command and eased himself, once more, onto the pallet where he had first woken up. 

"I guess it must have been around six o'clock when I found you." Paxt began. "I was taking my usual mid day stroll when I heard a loud crash. I rushed over as fast as I could. When I finally got there, I found a young body lying amongst the wreckage. I don't know how you survived young man but you did. After dragging you back to my house, I patched you up and did the best I could do using cure materia on you."

Cloud bobbed his head. "Thank you sir. I am completely in you debt."

This amused the old man as he laughed heartily at Cloud's remark. "Don't worry about it. Besides…" Suddenly his face became very serious. All traces of his former amusement were gone in that one instant. "Us rebels gotta look after our own eh?"

Cloud's eyes widened in alarm and his arm absently twitched, wanting to reach towards his back for the huge buster sword that wasn't currently there. "How…" the young mercenary asked. "How did you know?"

The old man chuckled softly. "It's a knack sonny." He said proudly. "Once you get to be around my age, you tend to notice certain aspects about people just by looking at them. Besides it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what you were doing bleeding to death a few miles under a recently destroyed Shinra reactor."

Cloud scratched his heard sheepishly at how obvious it was. "I guess it doesn't." Cloud raised his head and trained his eyes once more on the old man. The man noticed the intense level of seriousness in which Cloud gazed at him and straightened his back slightly, preparing himself for what you young man would say next. 

"I'm sorry to trouble you with yet another burden but I have one more thing I must ask you."

The aged rebel waved his hand. "Don't worry about it. What is it you wish to know?"

"Were you able to find any other's in the wreckage where you found me? Were there any… dead… bodies…?"

The old man shook his head. "No. You were the only one I found there. As far as I could tell, there were no others."

Cloud silently sighed in relief. _'Good, that means the others made it out ok.'_

"You are part of that rebel band Avalanche, aren't you?"

Cloud's eyes widened once more. The man simply smiled. "They have been pretty active as of late. If you are trying to get back to your group, it is not far from here. We are in sector 6 after all. It is roughly an hours walk away I believe." 

Cloud nodded and smiled at the old man that had helped him so much. "Sir thank you. You have provided more then enough help for me today. I don't know how I can ever repay you but some day I will."

The man placed a firm hand on Cloud's shoulder, looking at him solemnly. "Repay me by winning this war. Stop the senseless killing and violence that Shinra is emitting. Stop it else it will destroy the very planet with which we hold dear."

Cloud grasped the man's hand in his own. "Sir I will do my best." 

"Good. You're clothing was rather shredded and irreplaceable. I had my daughter dress you with the one's you are currently wearing. However, you will find that there are cloths much more suited to your liking in the back area. You can use those on your journey."

Cloud looked at the man quizzically. "Daughter?"

"Yes, my daughter. You don't actually thing I was the one who dressed you while you were injured do you?"

The old man laughed mirthfully as Cloud's face shot beat red. He slowly rose to his feet, motioning for Cloud to sit back down. "In any case, I want you to remain here for the night. I sent my daughter on a few errands. Tomorrow she will lead you to the sector limits so that you can find you way back to your comrades. However, tonight you should stay and rest your body, else you will have a relaps."

Cloud wanted to protest but knew it was a mute point. The old man was absolutely right. He was in no condition to travel now and He truly did feel extremely exhausted, despite the fact that he had just woken up minutes earlier. 

Cloud trained his eyes towards the old man. "Once again sir I am in your debt. I promise I'll do the best I can to repay all that you have done for me."

The only man smiled once more then turned and began walking out of the room. "Do your best to create a better world for the future generation… That is all that I ask of you…" Came the old man's simple reply as he finally disappeared amongst the curtains. 

****

Aeris sighed sagely as she trudged slowly through the dirt-riddled grounds of sector 6. She had been constantly mulling over her thought for the past few hours. She was beginning to accept life with new vigor and motivation. For the first time in her life, she could see her own path clearly. Her mother's vision had been the last step and pulling her towards total self-reliance. Yet at the same time, she couldn't help the rush of troubling thoughts that assaulted her. She Knew Zack could handle himself yet she still didn't like the idea that she had left the black haired mercenary behind. Then there was Cloud, the irresistible blonde haired man who plagued her thoughts constantly. She desperately wanted to find him. If she lost him, she didn't know what she would do. 

She wrapped her arms briskly around her shoulders as a gentle wind picked up, breezing across her warm skin. Her mind thought back to the night before that fateful mission. The night she and Cloud talked for the last time.

****

Cloud walked up to Aeris door, still rubbing his shoulders from the workout he had been going over with Zack when Aeris suddenly bumped into him as she was coming out. 

"Cloud!" She said, trying her best to suppress the enormity of how relieved she felt at him waking up. "I'm so glad your awake!" She quickly embraced him. It was a warm feeling, which Aeris never wanted to forget. 

Cloud gazed into her eyes then and suddenly there was no longer any need for words. Her heart melted at the sight of his tender blue eyes as he gazed upon her. Aeris knew then that she wanted to be with Cloud forever, she had to be with him forever. She didn't think she could go on living without him.

Before either one of them knew what was happening, their lips finally locked and Aeris was caught up in a passionate kiss.

After what seemed like ages, Cloud withdrew from the embrace, his eyes alight with compassion yet also fear. To Aeris, he looked as if he were terrified of something but also, to some extent, gratified as well. 

"Cloud…?" Aeris asked with a lump in her throat, afraid of what his response would be. "W- what's wrong?"

Cloud shook his head, tearing his tender eyes away from Aeris face. "I'm sorry Aeris… Please… We can't do this. I,… I just don't know what I'm feeling anymore. My thoughts are so confused. I just… need more time to understand how I'm feeling…"

Aeris heart wanted to break at that very instant. She was utterly speechless, half from the kiss and half from the revelation she had just received. Ultimately, she resolved with simply nodding her head. Later, after Cloud left, she had cried. However, they were no longer simply tears of deprived love, they were tears of frustration and confusion because just like Cloud, she didn't understand what she was feeling either.

****

Aeris smiled faintly as she thought back to that night. Even though little time had passed between then, it seemed to her as if she was another person then. She could see things more clearly now. She was beginning to understand her life more. 

She drew her hand towards her neck and pulled out a charm attached to the necklace she wore. It was a gift given to her by her mother long ago. It was almost as if, ever since that short interlude with her mother, some unknown force was now guiding her and giving her purpose. She couldn't understand it fully but she now felt as if she were complete. She still harbored feelings for Cloud, yet they all seemed less captivating as they did then. For the first time in her life, she felt the vigor of knowing that she was in control of her own destiny. 

The wind began to pick up once more, only this time it was accompanied by the sounds of tires skidding across the dirty Midgar roads. Aeris head snapped up at the sudden noise then nearly gasped in alarm. 

Driving right in front of her was a small, old-fashioned caravan with the emblem of Shinra marked on the side of it. However, what shocked her the most was the occupant currently lying bound and unconscious inside. 

Aeris could barely speak over as whisper. "Is that… Tifa!?"

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Authors note: Thanks for reading. Please stay tuned for chapter 17.


	17. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All characters, places and things all to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I don't own any of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it. 

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 17

Aeris watched patiently as the caravan slowly rounded the corner. She had diligently followed the caravan as it slowly made its way from sector 5 all the way to sector 6. This all confused her at the most. She couldn't understand why the driver made the certain actions he did. If they truly had apprehended a rebel like they did, wouldn't it make sense to either drop them off at a sector prison or if need be, the Shinra building? However, both of which were passed or completely avoided by the drivers of the caravan. It had to be a trap. Yet Aeris knew there was no other way. If she didn't act, they would probably kill Tifa right on the spot.

Her sweaty fingers tightened around her staff and she continued to look with clear determined eyes towards the caravan from her position behind a pile of junk. She saw that, sitting next to Tifa's unconscious form, were two Shinra guards and she knew there were at least three more up in front. _'If I'm ever going to act then it better be now.'_

Taking a deep breath, Aeris leapt out from cover with all the speed she could muster, then quickly ran up towards the transport and threw her staff in between the wheel, thus lodging it into place. 

The Caravan came to a jolting stop, causing sounds of alarmed panic from up front. Aeris ignored it all. She continued to bolt towards the caravan, absently scooping up a metal pipe on her way. The Guards reacted quickly upon seeing her. One of the men opened fire. Aeris quickly dodged to the side then got up close under his defenses and swung her pipe in a deadly arch. The hard steel of the metal connected solidly with the man's skull forcing him down to the ground completely unconscious. Aeris heard the sudden intake of breath and the clicking of an automatic. 

The remaining Shinra guard was caught so far off guard by her agility and speed he had completely forgotten that he was the target of her attacks for a moment. He quickly recovered and aimed his automatic towards her. "Stop right-"

Before he could finish, the metal pipe landed hard across his face tearing away flesh and spraying blood. As he rolled from the momentum of the attack he squeezed the trigger of his gun letting a spray of bullets fly forth from his automatic. 

Aeris eyes shot wide open then she quickly spun left as the bullets just barely missed her. Angrily, she focused her mind once more, not giving her enemy a second chance to catch her off guard. As the man still fumbled across the ground, trying to orient himself, while at the same time clutching his wounded face, Aeris rushed forward then drove the pipe hard against his stomach. 

The poor soldier, once again, lurched back from the strike then fell to the ground on his side. He tried to rise once more to escape the onslaught but aeris wasn't finished. 

__

'I've got to take this guy out fast.' Without another thought, Aeris brought the pipe down hard against the man's skull, knocking him completely unconscious. 

Aeris threw the bloody pipe to the ground then swiftly bent low and retrieved her staff. A slight smile came to her face at the feel of the warm solid material beneath her fingertips. She gingerly hefted the deadly weapon then jumped up aboard the Caravan rushing to Tifa's unconscious side. 

"Tifa! Tifa wake up!" She said in an urgent voice, lightly slapping her a few times on the face. 

Tifa opened her eyes groggily, letting out a soft moan as she slowly came to. "Uuugh.. What's going on…"

"No time for that now!" Aeris replied anxiously. "We've gotta get out of her fast!" 

She quickly pulled out a small knife she had packed away before starting the mission. Tifa blinked her eyes violently as the young, green-eyed girl continued to work diligently to cut the cords binding her arms and legs together. 

"Aeris?" She asked abruptly, recognition finally reaching her consciousness. "Wha-…? How?"

"No time for that!" Aeris shot back, nearly screaming the answer in her frustration. 

Tifa sat up and shook her head, still trying to remember where she was. 

"Can you walk?" Aeris asked, Finally cutting the last of the cords binding Tifa's feet together. 

"I… I think so."

"Then come on!"

Aeris roughly grabbed Tifa's hand and yanked her off the Caravan with her as she ran as fast as she could towards cover. 

Within a heartbeat, Something flashed before Aeris eyes and suddenly a very solid fist landed across her right cheek sending her painfully to the ground. 

"Heh, well well well… Look who decided to play hero and join us."

Aeris knew that cigarette stained voice all too well as she looked up to glare at the menacing red haired figure standing before her. 

With venom in her voice, she spat out the all to obvious word or recognition. "Reno…"

****

Zack shut his eyes tightly as he felt the warm sensation of materia flowing through his body. He hadn't had to cast a cure spell this strong in years and the sheer force of it all sent new fatigue and pain through his body, reminding him all too well of his darkened past. Slowly, Zack began to feel the spell work its magic as his bruises began to heal themselves and all other vestiges of injury, which Aeris couldn't heal, slowly began to disappear. 

Zack leaned back from the intensity of the spell and let out a soft sigh of exhaustion. He was still sitting in the same spot where Aeris had last left him. He had been thinking about how much the young woman had changed since the last time he was with her, then deciding she might need his help, he had promptly pulled out his cure materia so that he would be more of a help then a burden. 

Zack looked over his handiwork, taking small pride in himself. _'I guess I still got it in me.'_ It was a high level cure spell which he had only preformed a few times in his past then stopped completely after his 'Tragic incident.' 

Zack shook his head vigorously, refusing to think about it. He pocketed the glowing orb then tentatively stood up from his perched seat of a fallen construction pipe. 

"Still slacking off as always eh?"

Zack quickly spun around at the familiar voice, recognizing it all too well and dreading it at the same time. "I hoped I'd never have to hear that voice again." He shot in response. "I guess I could never be that lucky though huh?"

A soft chuckled was the only answer towards his rhetorical question. In a sudden flurry of movement a shadow quickly darted from the upper distance of a nearby roof and in no time at all, a figure stood standing poised in front of him. 

"Heh, it's been a long time Zack." The figure said with a touch of sarcasm in his voice. 

Zack growled lightly in response. His eyes narrowed at the man's jet black hair, to his crisp, unruffled suit, finally resting on his metal arm, which ran in perfect proportion to the rest of his body. 

"Ahh, I see you've noticed my little… replacement since last we've met."

Zack ground his teeth then spat out the name of the man he dreaded most. "Tseng… What are you doing here you bastard!"

Tseng arched his head back and contorted his face in an expression of sarcastic shock. "Oh? You're not happy to see your old friend after all this time? Zack I'm disappointed! I was so eager to see you too!" 

"Get to the point you bastard!" Zack spat out, barely holding his rage in check. "Why have you come here? Has Shinra finally decided to take me out? Or are you just here to impress me with your pathetic banter."

Tseng narrowed his eyes slightly. "Don't you dare start issuing commands out to me you son of a b!tch! Things aren't going to be like they were before!"

Now it was Zack's turn to glare. "I'll never go back to that life! That was another lifetime ago!"

"Ah you can try to hide away from your past but I can see your past still catches up to you." A smirk slowly rose up to his lips. "I can see it in your eyes."

Zack gasped slightly and took a tentative step back, his hand shaking nervously. "Shut up!" He growled. 

Tseng chucked. "How long has it been Zack? How long has it been since you've felt the 'true' flow of materia through your veins? How many times are you going to force away your 'real' blood! It's true, after a while the effects will wear off and once again you will appear as if nothing happened but you can't escape your fate so easily."

"I will never go back to the way I was!" Zack spat in an enraged tone. 

"Oh? But every time you use materia at a high caliber you inch closer and closer to what you really are. That's why you never use magic unless you absolutely have to, isn't it? You're afraid of the effects they have on you!"

"Shut your damn mouth! I know who I am!"

"Do you now?" Tseng chuckled once more. "Do you really think you know who you are? Or a better question is… Do the people you care about really know who you are?"

Zack clenched his teeth in anger then reached back for his buster sword. "They know all that they need to know! I will protect them from the dangers of my past!"

The small smile quickly rose up to a large grin on Tseng's smug face. "Aha. You will protect them eh? Even when their lives are hanging on the balance right now? How will you protect them when you are here and they are so very far away dying by Shinra's hands right now?"

Zack's eyes snapped wide and within a heartbeat, the brilliance of silver flashed out as Zack rushed forth, swinging his sword down hard towards his adversary.   


Tseng moved back only an inch then rose his metallic arm, casually blocking the mercenary's sword thrust. 

"Heh, child's play. You're going to have to do a lot better then that if you plan of fighting me old friend!"

With an enraged shout, Zack swung once again only to slice through air as his opponent skillfully flipped backwards out of harms way. Tseng landed lightly on his feet then shot another grin towards his attacker. "Don't worry 'old friend'. We'll get our change to fight properly very soon. Don't forget, I still owe you an arm for all the trouble you've cause me as well as Shinra."

Zack rushed forward again, charging towards his opponent with blinding speed. "FIGHT ME NOW YOU COWARD!" He screamed in wild rage.

Tseng continued to fall back, retreating into the shadows. The only trace of his remaining presence in the vicinity was the loud laughter, still ringing out in the cold, windy air. "If you wish to save your friends, meet me at the Sector 7 tower! Be prepared!"

And with that, the laughter ended and all that remained was the silent brush of wind against his rigid face. Zack glared into the distance then quickly sheathed his sword. If he was ever going to save his friends then now was the time. There was no longer any time left to ponder the past or his current position, given the situation. All that remained now was going forward and meeting his challenge head on. With that, Zack quickly darted towards the direction of Sector 7. 

****

For the fifth time cloud turned over. He had been trying to rest up for hours now but couldn't seem to go to sleep. Shortly after his talk with the old man he had promptly prepared for sleep so that he could wake up refreshed and eager to find his friends in the morning. However, the only problem with that was that he couldn't shake the immense feeling of dread that continuously washed over him. For some reason something was telling him that something bad was going to happen. Something he should be present for. Something he could prevent. 

Cloud shut his eyes tightly. _'Whatever it is, I'll be of no help to them if I don't recover.'_

Once again he turned over on his left side, adjusting the pillow so that it lay over his face. Unfortunately, that same nagging voice returned even through the safety of his pillow to whisper that soft reminder that he was needed. No matter what he did he couldn't avoid it. 

Finally, sighing in frustration, Cloud sat up from his pallet and threw the pillow against the wall in frustration. He slowly brought his hands up to his face, messaging his temples and trying to dispel whatever sleep remained, out of his system. He reached for his pants with one hand while pulling the covers away with the other. 

He assumed the old man's daughter would have returned by now as it had been quite a few hours since he had gone off to sleep. He slowly squinted his eyes trying to adjust them to the lighting of the room. He recognized the soft outline of two different shapes sleeping on either side of him, obviously unaware of his little outburst a few seconds earlier. Cloud quickly slipped on his pants then silently crept upon the sleeping daughter. With a slight shake he called out to her. 

"Hey…" He whispered. "Are you awake?"

The girl let out a soft moan as her eyes fluttered open. She gave Cloud a confused, dazed look then sudden recognition dawned on her. She quickly sat up, staring at him. "You… You're the man my father was talking about…"

Cloud nodded his head. "Yes. Look, I'm sorry for waking you but I have a favor to ask you."

The girl said nothing but continued to look at him in an odd way. Cloud could guess how weird it must be for her to be awakened by a total stranger then asked if she could do them a favor. Cloud figured it would be best if he just asked her. 

"I need to know if you can get me to the end of the sector right now instead of tomorrow morning."

The girl seemed slightly shocked at his idea. "Tonight?!?… But why?"

"I… I just have to be there. I can't really explain why."

The young girl continued to stare into his deep blue eyes for a moment longer then finally nodded her consent. "Ok I'll do it. But I don't think you would want to go looking like that."

Cloud blinked a few times in confusion then remembered what he was wearing. A soft red quickly rose up to his cheeks as he stumbled with a reply. "Err… I guess you're right… Hey! You're father mentioned something about an attire I could wear of his."

The Young girl nodded. "Yes, It's in the back room. You can go and get dressed. Meanwhile I'll do the same and be waiting for you outside."

Cloud nodded then stood up and walked towards the back. He stopped in mid-step as a thought suddenly occurred to him. He turned around to face the girl once more. "By the way." He said, still in a whisper. "My name's Cloud."

The girl smiled back. "Mine's Angela. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Cloud nodded then turned back towards the back to find his new clothing. It took him a few minutes to scale around the walls and spot the mentioned attire but finally he found them. He couldn't really recognize the material but the shirt felt as if it was rough and woolen, almost like a sweater but it felt very durable. The pants too also felt durable but they weren't as woolen as the shirt. Cloud shook his observations away and quickly dressed into the garb. He saw added armor to go with it so he quickly put that on as well figuring it would come in handy. 

Once dressed, he promptly exited the house to see Angela standing out in front with a bright smile on her face. Cloud almost took a double take. The girl was beautiful with strawberry red hair and soft brown eyes. She was also very slim and in good shape. Her hair was tied back in a tight ponytail and she wore dark brown trousers with a navy green shirt. He gloves were also brown with metal manacles at the wrist area. 

Cloud smiled back at her. "Shall we get going then?"

Angela shot Cloud a thumbs up. "Let's!"

Cloud nodded his head and walked up along side her as she led the way. It was almost too fascinating to him to see all the sights and wonders of Midgar. He wondered how he had ever truly missed it; from the blazing lights, to the melodic tunes as they intermingled with all the others. Then there was the huge on-pour of people coming back and forth. Cloud could not think back to a time when he had ever seen a place so lively. 

Cloud slowly turned his head towards Angela. She was a pretty girl to look at. Her smooth features were attractive and almost too tempting to simply marvel at for hours. He was sure all the guys were probably lined up to ask her out. Yet she had a soft nature about her, almost befitting of her name. She seemed to only take in the glow of the world and expunge all the bad that came with it. 

"How long have you been living here?" He asked in a conversational way. 

Angela looked back at Cloud, realizing he had been talking to her then smiled brightly. "Oh I've lived here my whole life. It's just been me and my father for the past 12 years now. We used to live in better conditions but when my father quite working for Shinra everything changed. But even still, it was because of the change… Because of the way my father was that I never stopped loving him and never will stop."

Cloud's eyes rose slightly. "You're father used to work for Shinra?"

Angela laughed lightly at his surprise. "Oh come on! It can't be all that shocking. And besides, didn't you wonder about it? After all, you are wearing his old uniform."

Cloud nearly doubled over from shock at that. His eyes quickly darted towards his attire which he was just now beginning to recognize now that the lighting was better.

"This… but wait!… This is… This is a SOLDIER's uniform!"

The young woman giggled softly at his remark. "Well of course!" She said, staring at the Shinra SOLDIER insignia on his belt. "My father was a soldier First Class actually. He fought in the Wutai war years ago and actually had the honor of serving with the great Sephiroth! Me and mom were really proud of him."

Cloud's mood darkened slightly at the mention of Sephiroth, the man who had taken away his happiness as well as his childhood. He quickly shifted the subject over, hoping to divert away from talking about Shinra's super soldier. "So what happened to your mom?"

Cloud winked immediately at the hurt expression that quickly seized the girl's face. He regretted asking the question as soon as it had come out of his mouth. "I'm sorry." He said softly.

The girl shook her head. "No… It's alright. My mother died 12 years ago. Both my father and mother were part of Shinra. When my father was returning from a mission he found that a few of the troopers were trying to harass my mother. He quickly intervened and ended up killing the men who had been trying to assault her. Shortly after, president Shinra ordered for my father to be executed and branded him a traitor to Shinra for killing his own comrades. There was a huge search and eventually my father had to fight his way out. While trying to flee from the havoc, my mother was shot and died shortly after. Her last words were that she now knew the Shinra were corrupt and that it was up to him to aid the rebels in bringing them down."

Cloud nodded his head slowly. "Your mother must have been a strong woman."

Angela smiled and nodded. "Yes she was. She was very kind too. I loved my mother."

Cloud smiled as memories of his own mother came into mind. Soon they were followed by images of her death. He shook his head roughly then looked back towards her. "So why would your father opt for me to wear a SOLDIER uniform? Won't that make me suspicious?"

"Actually, it's quite the contrary. It's because you are wearing a SOLDIER outfit that you will have an easier time getting around. The people of Midgar are absolutely terrified of SOLDIER's because of their great fighting potential and heightened abilities. Once there was a mugger who tried to take on Sephiroth and the man ended up dead lying in 20 pieces on the ground. Word has it, He took the man out in less then 5 seconds."

Cloud nodded, trying his best not to show his disapproval at the talk of his mortal enemy. Angela noticed his discomfort thus she didn't say any more as they continued their journey. As they walked further and further through the sector, Cloud was more and more gratified that he had had a guide for the journey. There were so many twists and turns, he knew he would have never been able to find his way around had he been on his own. 

The two of them were rounding past an offshoot alleyway of sector 5 when they heard the sounds of commotion going on. Cloud noticed the noise of gunfire and stopped immediately. 

"What was that?" He asked absently, while heading towards the alleyway.

"I'm not sure." Angela answered him, growing tense. 

Cloud narrowed his eyes. "Angela how far is the sector 7 entrance from here?"

"About a half mile more if you keep straight on this road." She answered, her voice still slightly tensed.

Clouded nodded his head. "Ok. Angela, I want you to head back to your father's house. I thank you greatly for your help and I hope someday I can repay you."

Angela suddenly grasped his arm anxiously. "What are you planning to do?"

"I've got to see what's going on over there. I can't just ignore what's happening if I can do anything about it!"

"But… but you may die!"

Cloud turned swiftly back to the frightened woman. "Angela, I'm a rebel against Shinra. I face dying every day of my life. That still doesn't stop me from doing what I know is right. Please… Go back to your father."

Angela closed her eyes. "I want to help."

Cloud shook his head. "You can help by continuing to support your father! If you die now you'll only break his heart and destroy anything left that he has to fight for. Please… I won't be able to protect you. Please go…"

The girl softly nodded, tears now rolling down her eyes. "Be careful…" She said in a soft almost whispering voice.

Cloud nodded then ran further towards the alleyway leaving Angela standing alone in the distance. 

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Author's note: _Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 18._


	18. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of them. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it. 

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 18

Aeris gasped in alarm as she quickly blocked yet another strike from Reno's nightstick. She and Tifa had been hard pressed the entire battle. Once Reno had revealed himself to the two women, both knew they had little chance of escaping the lightning fast Turk so each agreed to fight their way out. However, this proved to be easier said then done. Reno had two Shinra troopers fighting along side him and, although Aeris and Tifa each could take out both of these guards, the two women found in completely impossible since Reno would constantly intrude just before they could effectively take them out. This gave the Shinra troopers more then enough time to recover and retaliate with their automatics. Ultimately, it was a losing fight for both females as Reno had the better tactics and manpower. 

Aeris breaths came in gasps as she wiped a shaking hand across her sweaty brow. She was beyond exhaustion, crouching low in a defensive stance while Reno continued to simply stand there with a huge grin on his face. Aeris glared at the man with scorn. She desperately wished she had had more time to train so that she could be more use to extended fights like this one. However, it didn't seem like it would have made much of a difference in the long run as she stole a glance at her companion. Tifa was beat. She also sagged low as she continued to dodge the wild bursts of firepower from her attackers while at the same time, moving fast enough to get the upper hand over them. The only problem was that any time she came too close to them, Reno always seemed to be there to throw her back to step one. 

Aeris knew the situation was grim yet she also knew she would never give up. She wouldn't give the man that kind of pleasure. 

"I never though you would hold out this long." Reno replied dryly, still with the smug grin plastered over his face. "You impress me Ancient. I never would have expected you to be able to fight like this. But still…" He leaned down close so that he was directly facing her. "It's no use against me. You're tired, battered, fatigued beyond your limits. Why don't you just give up and accept your fate. You belong to Shinra, now and forever."

Suddenly a burst of adrenaline rushed forth through Aeris veins as she rose up faster then a speeding bullet and swung her staff directly in Reno's face. "NEVER!"

This caught the Turk completely off guard, and Reno fell to one knee as he tried to recover from the blow. He angrily shook his head while swearing at his sloppiness. 

Aeris didn't waste a minute. She ran forth once more and swung her staff again. Reno snapped his head up quickly and rolled back from the second strike. Aeris grit her teeth but continued her attack. She lunged in to strike him again. Unfortunately, Reno was now prepared for it. He dodged deftly to the side as the staff passed by him. He then spun back forward, sidelining the young woman and knocking her to the ground flat on her back. 

Aeris groaned in pain from the sudden impact that had assaulted her. Reno looked down at her crumbled form then kicked her roughly in the side. "Heh, serves you right you piece of $hit! That's what you get for thinking you can catch me off guard."

Reno looked to his side to see Tifa was similarly having a rough time. Tifa side flipped away from one guard's barrage of bullets then ran up to the second guard while he was still trying to take aim. Before he could do anything, Tifa lunged into the air and delivered a swift roundhouse air kick straight into the man's face knocking him utterly unconscious. 

"$hit!" Reno swore as he rushed towards the brunette haired Avalanche member. Tifa quickly dodged all the bullets the other guard fired at her but she could tell she needed to take him out quick. Her muscles were being pushed far beyond endurance and she knew that if she was off by even a second she would fail. Her body was completely drained from overstrain and she knew that if she made even on mistake she would pay for it with her life. She couldn't let her concentration brake. As long as the threat remained, she knew she had to fight with her all or Shinra would win and her friends and companions would suffer for her failure. 

She ran faster towards the man, dodging right and left as she evaded his every shot. She could tell the man was growing more and more nervous with every second. Tifa could almost smell the victory in the palm of her hands. Then suddenly a flurry of movement landed in front of her and a black staff quickly rammed across her face. Tifa staggered back, but didn't let herself fall into confusion. She then ran forth again towards her new opponent. She struck with a flurry of attacks, swinging high then low then mid then low again, trying desperately to connect. Unfortunately, Reno read her every move and avoided each one accordingly. 

Tifa grit her teeth then swung a kick his way. Reno skillfully caught her leg then brought his nightstick down on it hard. Tifa cried out in pain as she felt the bones in her leg break. She stumbled back then started to fall. Unfortunately, Reno wasn't finished. He rushed in quickly, delivering a hard punch to the gut. Tifa grunted out in surprised shock, then everything became dim as darkness invaded her vision. 

Reno smirked in amusement as the young woman's limp body tumbled away from his fist and fell unceremoniously to the cold hard ground. 

The last remaining Shinra troop ran up to Reno in a flash. 

"Sir you're bleeding. Are you alright?"

Reno's eyes widened slightly then he slowly brought his hand up to his bottom lip only to find blood on his fingertips as he brought it away. He immediately shot a glaring look towards Aeris limp form. 

"I'm fine." He said, still staring at the unconscious woman. "That little $hit simply pegged one on me. Heh, she's gonna regret that."

Reno shifted and began walking towards her when suddenly a hand grasped his shoulder. 

Reno spun his head towards the guard, glaring daggers at him. The man gulped visibly but remained firm. 

"Sir, remember, we are still under orders to bring her in relatively unharmed."

Reno continued to glare at the man a bit longer then ripped his shoulder away from the man's grasp and walked a few feet in the opposite direction. "Fine! Whatever! So what's our status with the others? How are our guys doing?"

The soldier sighed inwardly at the change in subject. "Sir I'll check on that right away!"

Reno nodded sagely. "Yeah, you do that." 

He then walked a few more feet over to the corner staring out at the wrecked city. _'Such a waste of $hit this place is.'_ Reno mused to himself as he lit a cigarette and perched it onto the edge of his lips. He squinted his eyes as he looked up at the bright lights of mako fumes as they were slowly being drained into the city via the sector 6 reactor. Reno lightly rubbed the stub of hair that made up his sideburns, thinking intently. _'But this is all these folks got left to live on… Are we really right to…' _Reno quickly shook his head, clearing away the troubling thoughts. _'$hit man! I'm starting to go soft, think'in about all this stupid crap. 'Course we're right. We got the power so therefor we got the right to do whatever the hell we want with it.' _A small grin played across his face as he thought of how easily it was to round up a few people and make them do whatever he wanted them to. It was always something of a sport for Reno to use his power to control others. He loved the thrill of being able to do whatever he wanted and not have to pay for it later. It was definitely a change from the way things were in his past. 

Once again he shook his head, this time to clear away the troubling thoughts of painful memories of his past. He rhythmically messaged the bridge of his nose. He took another puff from his cigarette then flicked it away from between his two fingers and stomped it out with his boot.

"Sir! I've just made contact with both parties."

Reno shot the man an annoyed look. "It's about fu#king time! What did they say?"

"Good news sir. Rude and the main Squad of Shinra soldiers have got Avalanche beat to a pulp atop the Sector 7 tower and Tseng's succeeded in his contact with Zack. He's positive the mercenary is on his way there right now."

Reno smiled wickedly. "Excellent. So all we're wait'n for now is for that blonde haired runt to show up. Alright, start tying up our prisoners and put them in the caravan. I'll wake up the others so they can give you a hand."

The remaining soldier saluted smartly. "Yes sir."

He immediately got to work while Reno walked over the area looked at the downed men lying around him. He walked over to the man Tifa had recently knocked out and kicked him in the arm roughly. "Wake up you pathetic fu#k! You got work to do!" 

****

Cloud ran as fast as he could down the alleyway. A gnawing feeling etched itself more and more into his very core as he got closer and closer. Something was wrong. He could feel it. Whatever was going on was more then just a common street fight. He just 'knew' it was connected to him in some way. He knew he had to be there. 

Cloud rounded a corner and suddenly his world stopped. His eyes were shot wide as he saw the horrifying scene up ahead. Tifa and Aeris were both being bound and carried into a nearby caravan with the title 'Shinra' labeled on it. He resisted the urge to simply surge for as he instead sat back and listened to what they had to say.

"Hurry it up already!" He could hear Reno's voice yell out. There were four of them in all. One of them, a Shinra guard, was still lying face down on the ground, presumably dead. 

Reno walked around a bit more. "The sooner we find the last mercenary, the sooner we complete our mission."

Suddenly Cloud knew there was no more time to waste. If he was going to save Tifa and Aeris, it had to be now while they were still slightly disoriented. 

Cloud quickly jumped from cover, his sword gleaming brightly in his hands. "Hold it right there Turk!" 

Reno turned around slowly with a huge grin on his face. "Well, well, well… Speak of the devil. Long time no see Merc. You still sore from that last beating I gave you?"

Cloud's expression darkened only slightly as he held his gaze on the red haired man whom he only fought once before. "Release your hostages now and I will let you live." He said simply.

Reno chuckled once more. "Of course. Well you can have them… Provided you can beat me!" 

Suddenly, in a flurry of movement, Reno yanked out a small orb and swung his arm as a small green light was thrown from it. 

Cloud knew exactly what it was and dodged the projectile with equal speed. "You know what they say Turk! Can't try the same trick twice. Now you'll have to face me on equal ground. Are you man enough for that?" 

Cloud hopped down from his perch to face the red haired Turk up front.

The smug grin never left Reno's face. He leaned close towards on of the soldiers. "Take off. Deliver our hostages to our forces over by the Sector 7 tower. I'll meet up with you momentarily."

Cloud jumped forth like a speeding bullet. "No you don't!" He yelled, charged towards the caravan. Reno quickly intervened and jumped in front of him. Cloud was unheeded. He swung his sword with all the speed he could muster, planning to take the Turk out in one strike. 

However, Reno was a master at speed, as he easily dodged the attack then came in low with his own. Cloud raised his leg above the attack Reno had tried to deliver with his nightstick. He quickly swung down again with his buster sword but once again Reno evaded the strike. 

In no time at all the two men were lost in a flurry of movements. Swings and strikes were barely dodged and barely delivered as both men lost themselves to the sea of war. Neither one would spare any thought of anything else but their skill and focus towards defeating the other. 

Cloud delivered a swift horizontal strike. Reno ducked quickly then raised his nightstick intending to shock him right below the rib cage. Unfortunately for him, Cloud spun to the side, evading his strike. As he completed his spin, he let his blade follow with him and he struck low right behind the Turk's kneecap. 

Reno hollered out in pain then spun to his left, falling to the ground on his right knee. 

"Damn…" Reno said, smiling devilishly at Cloud. "You've gotten a tad bit better. I'll grant you that. But it's still not enough."

Cloud noticed all to late what Reno was doing. His eyes narrowed at the sight of the Turk using false conversation while behind his back, healing his wound with a cure materia. Cloud roared in anger, determined to not let the man finish his spell. Unfortunately, it was too late. Reno back-flipped out of the way as he swung. Reno chuckled, still slightly favoring his right leg. "Well it's been fun but I've gotta go. If you want to save your friends meet me at the Sector 7 towers. That is… If you've got the guts to face me again!" 

Cloud quickly looked to his side where the caravan originally had been only to see that it was no longer there or anywhere as far as the eye could see. 

Reno smiled back at the confused mercenary. "Heh, I figured you'd be too preoccupied with me to notice them take off."

Cloud's anger rose even higher. "You bastard!" Cloud lunged forth, swinging his buster sword once more only to miss yet again.

"Heh, save it for the tower kid." Reno said with a smirk on his face. "We'll face off again there. I'll be waiting for you."

And with that, Reno disappeared into the shadows. Cloud balled up his fists in anger then turned back around towards the way he had come._ 'I've got to get to sector 7. If anything happens to either one of them I'll…'_

Suddenly the sounds of footsteps interrupted Cloud's thoughts. He quickly spun around, raising his buster sword in preparation to attack this knew intruder. However Recognition overruled nerves as he quickly lowered his sword just as fast. 

"I take it you've recovered well enough from the fall?"

A huge grin formed on Cloud's face at the familiar voice. "Zack!"

The dark haired mercenary clapped his hand on his best friend's shoulder in a gesture of friendship and relief. 

"It's good to see you're ok buddy!" Zack said, releasing his hand from Cloud's shoulder. 

Cloud's mood darkened lightly at the comment. "That depends on how you look at it. They've got Aeris and Tifa. They told me to meet them at the Sector 7 tower."

Zack too assumed a serious expression. "Yeah I know. One of the Turks confronted me too. I guess that's our next objective then."

Cloud looked at Zack skeptically. "Yeah but how are we going to get there? I know how to get to sector 7 but I don't know the way to the tower."

Zack flashed Cloud one of his ever-famous grins. "But I do. Come on follow me. Time's running short."

Cloud nodded his head and followed his best friend, keeping silent about the gnawing question that now haunted his mind. _'Since when did Zack know so much about how to get from place to place in Midgar?'_

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Author's note: Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 19. 


	19. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it. 

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 19

Cloud gasped in shocked as he and Zack rounded the last corner leading them to the Sector 7 tower. The scene ahead appalled them both to no end. It was as if a war of immense proportions had taken place and still was. Gunfire rang through the air in constant blares. Screams of death and blood lust were heard at all angles. Parts of metal and other types of gadgets lay strewn about in globs of burnt mess. Bodies lay everywhere around the reactor as if they were littered trash. To both men, the scene was complete and utter madness.

Gunfire rang out once more in the air. Both men looked up to see that an intense fight was still being waged at the very top of the tower. They could both see the outlines of a burly dark skinned man fighting amongst a group of navy blue, suited people. 

"Oh no…" Zack muttered, staring helplessly up at the combatants.

"Come on!" Cloud said anxiously. "We've gotta help!"

Zack nodded his head briskly. "Right! Lead the way. I'll back you up."

And with that, both men ran swiftly into the heat of battle, swords drawn and gleaming with the hunger for fresh blood.

Upon reaching the steps of the tower, once again, both men were shocked into silence. Cloud viciously fought back the pain in his heart then ran up to the body lying silently a few feet away from the second set of elevated stairs. 

"Biggs!" Cloud sheathed his buster sword and kneeled down in front of the bloody man then sat him up in his arms. "Biggs! Biggs can you hear me?! Biggs answer me!"

The man's eyes slowly flickered to life and recognition soon followed in his dark irises. "Cloud…?" The man asked weakly. "Cloud is that you?"

"Yes! Yes it's me! Biggs just hold on ok? Hold on! We'll get you help real soon!"

The man chuckled softly and slowly shook his head. Cloud tensed at the action. "Cloud…don't worry about me…. I'm finished man…"

Cloud tightened his grip on the man, anxiety dancing around all too clearly in his crystal blue eyes. "No! No just hang on Biggs! Help is on the way!"

The man continued to smile and closed his eyes as if he could no longer hear the mercenary's eager words. "You gotta keep moving Cloud…" He continued in a soft whisper. "Barret… needs you… _now_…"

The last word came out as a soft sigh and then the man was silent. Cloud shook him again, forcefully. "NO! Biggs open your eyes! Open your eyes man! Don't do this!" 

The silent figure did not reply. He merely lay there in Cloud's arms, that soft smile still embedded on his face. After a while Cloud slowly eased the man back onto the ground, his head lowered in sadness and rage. 

Zack walked up to him and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I found Wedge a few yards to the left. It looked like he fell all the way from the top. I'm sorry Cloud… he was already dead when I got to him."

Cloud slowly rose his head back up, determination glowing in his eyes. "Fine… But I'm not going to let Shinra harm anyone else." He shot his head towards the dark haired mercenary with anger etched in his eyes. "Zack we're going to the top of the tower. Barret's still alive and fighting for his life up there. Jessie's probably up there too. We've got to give them all the support we can muster."

Zack gave his best friend a solemn nod. "I'm with you all the way buddy."

Cloud quickly rose to his feet, unsheathed his huge buster sword then sped up the stairs as fast as he could. Zack was momentarily surprised at his friend's speed and sudden eagerness but quickly shoved it all to the back of his mind and chased after his blonde haired partner. The two men raced up the stairs at full speed, taking on any unfortunate Shinra troopers that happened to get in their way. Cloud would either hack them down with his sword in a vertical strike or simply leap over them, letting Zack take care of business with equal speed and intensity. 

Cloud could clearly see the top of the tower now and clenched his fists nervously at the sight. Barret was now on one knee, desperately fighting off the Turks and Shinra soldiers together. 

"I don't get it." Zack said, running along side him. "Why doesn't he just fall back? Why is he still fighting? He could easily make a break for it and lose those guy's on these stairs."

Cloud didn't turn to face him while he answered the question. "Maybe something else is fueling his senses other then logic right now. Think about it. He just lost two of his men! He's probably blinded by rage by now."

"Probably…" Zack muttered, then suddenly his breath caught in his throat. He could hear the similar astonishment in Cloud's voice as the man gasped in alarm next to him. 

"My god. No!"

Both men ran up to the still figure lying awkwardly on the stairs a few feet ahead of them. "Jessie!" Cloud called running up to the woman. "Jessie are you alright!?"

The woman shifted slightly at his voice. Zack ran up to the side then kneeled down and put a finger on her neck. "She's still got a pulse!" He said anxiously. Cloud kneeled as well and turned the woman over in his arms. "Jessie! Jessie can you hear me?! You're going to be ok! Just hold on!"

"You help her out." Zack said, turning his back towards them. "I'll keep guard and make sure no one can disturb you!"

Cloud nodded his head then looked back down at the injured woman. Looking closer he saw that she had 3 bullet wounds' two in the chest area and one in the stomach. Cloud clenched his teeth, knowing they were fatal wounds. He quickly fished around in his pocket for a cure materia. Jessie placed a gentle hand over his. 

"Don't…" She said weakly with a small smile on her blood stained lips. Cloud looked at her with horrified eyes. "What are you talking about? Just hold still, I'll have you better in no time!"

Jessie tried to chuckle but coughed up blood instead. "I- It's no use…" She said softly with clearly defined pain in her voice. She sucked in another ragged breath and continued. "It's too late for me… I'm dying… nothing can change that."

"Jessie!" Cloud tightened his grip fearfully.

"Cloud… I only have one request to… make of you… Come to terms with yourself… Take care of everything… Make your choices and stick by them… before it is too late…"

Cloud was flustered by the woman's words. "What are you talking about? Make my choices?"

Jessie strained a bit more then smiled lightly. "You know what I'm talking about… or should I say… who I'm talking about… don't wait too long Cloud…. Life's too… _sh…ort…*_"

Cloud shook the lifeless body in his arms forcefully. "Jessie! Jessie? Jessie wake up! Please!" Tears were threatening to well up in the man's eyes now. Why did people always have to die? Why did Shinra always find some way to ruin peoples lives and cause havoc to others? Why?!

Zack firmly grasped his friend's shoulder. "She's gone Cloud… Let her go…"

Cloud snapped his eyes up towards Zack. "Ok… But now Shinra's going to pay! Big time!"

Zack nodded his head then darted up the stairs towards the top of the tower with Cloud close behind. 

****

Tseng smiled wickedly as the Avalanche leader took yet another hit from Reno's deadly nightstick. The dark man was defenseless to their attacks now. He was positive the man wouldn't last much longer and couldn't possibly pose any kind of threat to them whatsoever in his current condition. He body was laced with scars and bruises and even a few bullet wounds from some of the Shinra guards. He was truly a pathetic sight to look at although Tseng had to admit he admired the man's tenacity to not give up and continue fighting against them. But was that really bravery or foolishness. Tseng couldn't decide which however it didn't really matter to him. All they needed to do was keep him alive for a little while longer until Cloud and Zack showed up. Then the real fun would begin.

Reno kicked the dark man in the gun yet again, laughing cruelly at his work. 

"Reno! That's enough!" Tseng yelled out at the red haired man. "We aren't trying to kill him just yet remember?"

Reno turned from his actions to face Tseng. Glaring at the man Reno kicked Barret once more then walked away from his opponent. "Tch, you don't know how to have any fun boss! What's the point in keeping him alive anyway? Those two merc's are going to be here either way."

"We're already here!" Came a voice from the far end of the tower roof. Tseng smiled wickedly as he turned to face the new intruders. "Well well well… If it isn't my good old friend Zack!" Tseng immediately crouched low into a fighting stance but held his position. "Reno, Rude, I want both of you to hold your positions until I give you the order to fight. I want to have some fun with our new friends first."

Zack glared at the black haired man while Cloud blinked his eyes in a flustered manner. "You two know each other?"

Zack cast a side-glance at his partner then trained his eyes once more on his opponent. "It's a long story Cloud. Just focus on the objective at hand for now."

Tseng let out a loud laugh. "Oh so that's how it is huh? Still trying to protect them from the truth I see."

"Shut up!" Zack said, clenching his fists. 

"Zack what is he talking about?"

"Not now Cloud… I'll tell you about it later."

Tseng continued to smirk. "Heh, you truly are pathetic Zack. You've definitely changed for the worst over the last few years."

"What is it that your trying to achieve here Tseng? Why are you doing all of this?"

"Heh, why else? Because the big boss gave me the orders, that's why. As for what I'm doing…" A sly grin formed across his face. "He wants us to bring down the sector seven tower, destroying this whole sector and eliminating the threat of Avalanche once and for all."

Zack could no longer contain his rage now. "YOU HEARTLESS BASTARD! THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT LIVES WILL BE LOST IF YOU DO THAT!"

"So what? What do I care about a few thousand bums? The way I see it, I get a steady paycheck and my mode of living still stays intact. Nothing for me to worry about."

Zack ground his teeth but refrained from attacking. "So then why do you need us here? What's so special about luring us here to this exact spot?

"Heh, that's classified information, I'm afraid."

Zack dug his fingers into the hilt of his buster sword, barely containing his anger. "I won't let you succeed in your plans!"

"Then try and stop me! Lets see how good you've become over the years!"

"Zack…" Cloud interrupted. "I don't know what's going on between you two but I'll take care of the red haired guy and the bald guy."

"Good…" A new voice suddenly said from the distance. Both mercenaries stared in shock as the man slowly rose to his feet, despite his injuries. 

"Barret!" Zack said in shock. "Are you alright!?" 

Barret simply turned his head towards the center of the tower. "Never mind that! I'll do my best to stop the explosion of the tower. You two just focus on taking those maniacs out."

Zack nodded. "I got ya. I'll handle this then." And with that, Zack took off towards Tseng at a speed neither Cloud or Barret ever knew the man had. Barret quickly nodded his head and took off towards the tower control panel. Meanwhile, Cloud turned his attention towards his own adversaries to see them smiling boldly at him.

"Heh, ready for another ass kicking merc?" Reno asked in a mocking tone. The other man said nothing but arched his body into a fighting position. That was all the notification Cloud needed. He positioned his buster sword and charged into an attack.

****

Zack spun in a low circle then struck low with his huge buster sword. Unfortunately, Tseng had already read the attack and back-flipped away just in time. However Zack wouldn't be deterred so easily. He followed his attack up with another swing to the mid-area. Tseng deftly blocked the attack with his prosthetic arm then spun into a roundhouse kick. Zack barely ducked in time for the attack. He sidestepped then swung in a double low arch, trying to catch Tseng from below. Tseng easily leapt over both attacks.

Enraged at this new amount of skill his opponent was exploiting, Zack charged in yet again in his attack, this time blindly. Tseng easily dodged the overhead swing then landed a solid fist directly into Zack's gut with his cybernetic arm. 

The black haired mercenary crumbled from the blow but steadied himself on one knee glaring daggers at his nemesis. 

Tseng merely returned a cocky grin. "Heh, looks like I was right! You really have gotten soft over the years!"

"Shut up and fight you bastard!" Zack slowly rose up to his feet once more, his eyes still trained feverishly on the dark haired Turk.

Tseng gave him an innocent look. "But how am I supposed to fight you seriously when you won't even return the favor? I must tell you Zack, its really disappointing fighting you the way you are now. You're simply not strong enough."

Zack said nothing however his eyes glimmered with a hint of something long lost over the years. Something Tseng noticed immediately, something he wanted to compound upon. 

"What ever am I to do? I guess I'll have to just sate my urge for violence by killing our two female hostages I guess."

Zack's eyes narrowed even further and once more that glimmer flashed in his eyes. Tseng tried to suppress the smile rising in his lips. "Heh, yup. That's just what I'll have to do then. I'll make them suffer first of course. Nothing better then hearing them scream for a few hours until we finally decide to kill them."

The rage was now mounted beyond immense proportions now. "DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT TOUCHING THEM YOU BASTARD!"

Tseng chuckled. "Oh? And what are you going to do about it? You can't even defeat me!"

Zack clenched his fists in frustration. He knew what was going on. He knew all too well that Tseng was baiting him on so that he would once again tap into his true strength. The hated power with which he never wanted to even think about ever again in his life. The thought made Zack hate the man even more. He knew he had no choice. Tseng would go to all ends to exact what he wanted. He was that kind of villain. 

Finally Zack closed his eyes. _'I have no choice.' _He told himself mentally. He silently began to concentrate; to summon the power buried deep in his very core yet so verily ready whenever the need came around to summon it. Once again Zack heard the familiar buzzing in his ears, the burning of raw power enveloping all of his sense. It was almost as if his muscles bulged out further to the breaking point as they intensified with energy. The soft sounds of laughter could be heard from the man facing him and suddenly Zack shot his eyes open once more to look at his most hated rival. 

Tseng smiled gleefully at the man's angry glare. "It's about time!" Tseng said.

Zack continued to glare at the man with new eyes. No longer where his eyes the soft hazel color they used to be, but now they were neon green, flaring with raw energy and power. "It's past time we settled this score once and for all Tseng!" Zack said in a fevered voice not his own. 

Tseng grinned then once again assumed a fighting stance. "At last! Lets see if you still got it, Merc!"

Suddenly, faster then the speed of light, the two men charged towards one another and were quickly engulfed in a tornado of movements and sword thrusts. Tseng viciously attacked and parried while Zack continued to attack, not even bothering to parry as he simply let speed take control and dodge whatever attacks came his way. Tseng started to grit his teeth in nervousness and his opponent continued to increase his speed at an alarming rate. Soon Zack was moving so fast, Tseng found himself fumbling blindly in a sad attempt at retaliation. Zack spun in a swift 360 degrees turn then swung diagonally, effectively slicking down hard towards the black haired Turk. Tseng saw the attack at the last minute and pitifully raised his arm in defense. Zack's blade easily sliced through the sturdy material then imbedded itself deep in his shoulder. Tseng hollered in pain and drew back from the dance of death the two men had woven for each other. 

Tseng immediately fell to one knee while Zack continued to stand rigidly in front of him, his body almost giving off strands of energy. His eyes continued to burn holes into him and Tseng found himself shaking slightly from the intensity of that glare. 

"Y-you bastard! You ruined my arm!" Tseng said in anger yet he knew his words sounded completely hollow as they were mixed in together with apparent fear. Tseng looked around wildly while clutching his bleeding shoulder, desperately searching for something that would give him the upper hand. And then he found it. A wicked grin formed on his lips as he continued to watch the spectacle a few feet away from him. He trained his eyes back towards Zack and nearly laughed with glee as the single powerful word danced away from his lips. "Cloud…"

****

To be shocked was an understatement. Cloud was completely baffled by the sudden revelation that had just assaulted his senses. A few moments earlier, he was deftly holding his own against the two Turks that were challenging him. Reno had continually tried to use his nightstick against him, yet he used his own skill and maneuvered himself so that Reno tagged Rude instead. The result was enough to make Cloud laugh at how easy the fight was. Clear shock and even a slight bit of fear flashed across the red haired man's eyes when he saw what he had done. The man was in complete shock. As for rude, he couldn't help but crumble from the attack. Reno had been charging his stick throughout the whole battle, waiting for the opportunity to strike, thus Rude had taken the full brunt of Reno's pent up fury. Cloud hadn't wasted a second. He quickly attacked, driving a wound diagonally across Reno's chest, wounding the man to the point where he had fallen over through the sheer pain of the attack. Cloud had been ready to finish the two men off then and there. He was furious with all of Shinra for what they had done to his friends and he was going to exact his revenge on these two lone Turks who seemed to be the antithesis of it all. He was going to, that is, until his eye caught a glimpse of what was transpiring a few feet away. Cloud could barely believe his eyes. 

"Z-Zack…?" The very word seemed foreign to Cloud as he continued to look at the fight up ahead. Had he been standing closer he would have been even more baffled at the change in eye color his best friend took yet evidently the very actions he made were more then enough to astonish the blond haired mercenary beyond any possible comprehension. Never had he seen his friend move so fast before. So fast that Cloud himself couldn't even begin to keep up with the movements he was making. Cloud could hardly believe his own eyes. _'Has Zack been hiding this power ever since? Has he always been able to fuel his abilities in such a way? What's going on with him?' _

Suddenly a loud roar came from behind him and the blond mercenary noticed only too late that he had fallen into the one mistake he knew he should never make on the field of battle. He let his guard down. Cloud spun as fast as he could but it was to no avail. Reno's nightstick embedded itself securely onto his abdomen sending vicious volts of electricity blazing through his veins. Cloud screamed out in alarm and anger as he tried to pull away however Reno viciously shoved him against the railing before he had the chance. It was almost as if the injury fueled the red haired man to new levels of strength. He forced the nightstick even further against Cloud's stomach, intensifying the bursts of electricity flowing through the weapon. Cloud could barely keep conscious. Suddenly images of Tifa and Aeris swam through his mind. _'No!'_ He thought to himself. _'I can't give up now! Not while Tifa and Aeris are still in captivity by these maniacs! Not while Jessie and the others died by their hands! No! I WON'T GIVE UP!' _

With an enraged scream, Cloud summoned all of the strength he had left then fired upon the read haired Turk with the most powerful punch he could muster. The Turk reeled blindly from the attack then trained his eyes back on his blond haired opponent and glared in anger. Cloud desperately tried to steady his, still shaking body for another attack. Fortunately, however, the Turk's eyes promptly rolled to the back of his head and the man fell hard onto the ground with a heavy thud. 

Cloud lowered his head and exhaled a shaky sigh of relief and fatigue. He then felt a hand roughly grab his shoulder and heard the familiar click of a gun being cocked as it was pressed against his temple. Cloud wanted to fight back, yet he knew he had no energy left. He could only look on in fatigue as the bald man held him tightly in a death lock. 

"That's far enough…" the man hissed.

****

Zack's eyes narrowed sharply as Tseng pointed towards where Rude held Cloud at gunpoint. He still felt his veins bursting with power and he continually found himself trying to regain control as every urge in his body threatened to lash out at the bald man despite the fact that he held his friend hostage. 

Zack closed his eyes tightly and looked away from his dazed friend being held by one of the Turks. "What is it you want Tseng?" He said in a tight voice.

Tseng smiled once more. He rose to his feet, still clutching the deep wound on his shoulder and not even wanting to look at the prosthetic arm which was now severed at the elbow joint. It was going to take months for him to recover from this, he knew it. He let this disappointment take form as he looked once more into the eyes of his rival. "Heh, what do I want? I want nothing more then to see your dead carcass splayed across the ground below us… but like I said before, right now I'm under orders so business before pleasure right?"

Zack continued glaring at the man, his eyes still flashing in that bright hue of neon green. His eyes narrowed even further when he saw what has happening behind the dark haired Turk leader. A few Shinra guards came walking up carrying an unconscious Barret in their arms. 

Tseng saw the look of disappointment in Zack's eyes and that made his grin widen even more. "Oh I see your plan failed miserably. Ha! So sorry. Looks like you're all out of options now my friend."

Zack let out a low growl of anger. "I'm not your friend!"

"No of course not. I'd like to think I have better taste then that."

"Just get to the point Tseng!" Zack was now shaking with anger. "What do you want from me!"

Tseng laughed lightly at the intensity in the man's voice. He was immensely enjoying this. His ultimate rival was completely at his mercy. He couldn't think of a better way to brighten up his day. 

Suddenly the smile immediately disappeared from Tseng's face and once again he had assumed a serious expression. "Well, for starters, how about you power down? I've seen enough of that green-eyed $hit already. I'm no longer amused."

Zack glared even more at the man. He slowly closed his eyes and after a few moments he felt his body shift back to normal. Once he opened his eyes again, they were once more, the soft brown color they were before.

Tseng grinned cheekily. "Excellent. Now how about dropping that huge pig sticker of yours and raising your arms where we can see them?"

Zack complied and his sword clattered heavily on the tower surface. A Shinra soldier quickly ran up behind him and cuffed his arms in huge manacles.

"So…" Zack said in an even voice. "What happens now?"

"Now?" Tseng said, his tone still soaked in childlike glee. "Now we say good night. Rude you know what to do."

Zack's eyes widened in horrified shock as he saw the bald man lower his gun to Cloud's back and viciously fire upon the poor man.

"NO!" Zack screamed as he saw two bullets rip through clouds abdomen. Zack yanked free from the Shinra guard's grip then felt a searing pain in his head. Suddenly Zack felt his balance slip and everything began to fade to black amidst the drowning laughter ringing out all around him. "Cloud…" Zack mutter, desperately trying to get to his friend, then he stumbled to the ground as he finally fell into the void of unconsciousness.

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Author's note: _Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 20._


	20. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no profit from it. 

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 20

Aeris opened her eyes to a world of agony. She squeezed her eyes shut from the immense pain which assaulted her side. Slowly she composed herself and sat up, still rubbing her ribs rhythmically. She felt as if her whole body was on fire from strain and injury. Aeris took a few minutes to survey her surroundings then sighed heavily. Once again she had awaken to a strange area where things were definitely not as good as they were when she was last awake. 

To make matters even worse, not only was she in a worse place, she was in the worst place of them all; the very place in which she dreaded the most. The Shinra Compound.

"Uugh…" 

Aeris turned swiftly at the soft noise emanating from next to her. She nearly choked in surprise as she saw the familiar figure just waking up next to her. 

"Tifa?… Are you alright?"

Tifa groggily opened her eyes then bolted up with lightning speed. She immediately regretted that idea, however, when she suddenly fell back down clutching her leg anxiously. 

"Tifa? What's wrong?" Aeris asked in a concerned voice.

Tifa shook her head lightly to clear her thoughts then turned to face the young green-eyed girl. "Aeris? That bastard Reno broke my leg in the fight…" Tifa carefully examined her leg and much to her surprise, it hardly showed any trace of injury other then the light red bruise that laced around her ankle. "Hmm… For some reason it looks like they used a healing spell on the injury since then. But I still feel a sharp pain when I stand on it. Where are we anyway?"

Aeris lowered her head slightly. "I don't know exactly but I do know that we're in the Shinra Compound for certain."

"Are you serious? You mean we're actually inside the Shinra building right now?"

Aeris nodded grudgingly but said nothing.

"Wow…" Tifa said, still surprised by the revelation. "I wonder why they brought us here. It would seem to me it would be more sensible for them to just kill us out right. Don't get me wrong! I'm not saying I would rather die, mind you." Feeling somewhat foolish from her confused words, Tifa stopped her banter to look around once more at her surroundings. 

"But still…" She said in mild awe. "I'm surprised Shinra's taken such an interest in us."

"… They're probably planing to use us for some sick experiments or something." Aeris interjected coldly; more coldly then Tifa ever remembered the girl sounding as a matter of fact. 

"Aeris?… What's wrong? Have you… been here before?"

Again, Aeris nodded but remained silent. 

"…What did they do to you?" Tifa couldn't help but ask. She too was now growing apprehensive from the woman's quite demeanor. 

"… There was a scientist here… I'm sure he still is… he kept on taking blood samples from me and … he used to keep me in some kind of containment unit always preaching about how inhuman I was and how much more useful I would be simply as a tool of war and science…"

Tifa wanted to burst with sympathy at the very sight of Aeris now. Tears were now streaming down the poor girl's face and her hands were shaking.

"Hey don't worry Aeris. Don't listen to that creep. No matter what he says, you are who you believe you are. No one else can prove it but you. Don't worry, I won't let that maniac anywhere near you… I swear it."

Aeris looked up sympathetically towards her companion. "Tifa… Thank you."

Tifa nodded her head promptly. "Hey, think nothing of it. We're friends right? Don't worry, we'll find a way out of this yet, just you wait and see."

Aeris returned a shallow smile and nodded her head as well.

Suddenly the mechanical door baring them inside of the small room swept open and three Shinra guards walked in followed by another man who was highly dressed, possibly the superior officer. The highly dressed man walked up to the two women and glared at them both with angry eyes. 

"Stand up!… Both of you! And no funny business or else…"

Tifa and Aeris grudgingly complied, staring mutely at the Decorated man. 

"Put your hands were we can see them." He then pointed to two of his officers. "You two! Bind them and bring them along!"

"Where are you taking us?" Tifa interjected. 

The man turned his head to glare at her for speaking directly to him then turned his head away in disgust. 

"Where are you taking us!" Tifa persisted.

The man's shoulders sagged in a short sigh. "You are to be taken to see the president himself. You should feel honored at such a privilege. Now be silent and come along!"

And with that they began their trek to the president's office. Aeris looked on dreadfully at the horrible surroundings of the Shinra building. Everything was so plain and sterile. Everything was so orderly and seemingly perfect. It was all fake to Aeris. Everything about the facility was horribly fake and a blatant lie to her eyes. The seemingly shallow beauty was only a mask for the hidden evilness which lay deeper under the surface that was Shinra. 

Before she knew it, they stopped in front of a huge, richly designed doorway. One of the guards walked over to a side panel and punched in a number of codes then suddenly the lock clicked open granting them all access. One of the guards opened the door while another shoved them inside, closing the door right after two more guards came through. Both women gasped in surprise as they saw Barret standing there, facing the president with his hands bound tightly behind his back with similarly huge manacles. Sitting next to him was what seemed like an orange, red animal which almost looked like a mixture of a tiger and a bobcat. What caught the women even further off guard, however, was that the animals tail was on fire. 

"Ahh I see my guests have finally arrived." Said President Shinra in a cheery voice. "Welcome!" He said in sarcastic humor, chuckling mildly at his own jokes. However all he received from his prisoners, where angry mutters and glares, especially from Barret. 

"Oh? Are you not pleased to be here Mister Wallace? Perhaps you would rather I have you killed then? At least then you can finally be reunited with your comrades right?"

Barret shook with rage from the accusation and nearly trounced on Shinra then and there. Unfortunately, the Shinra guards saw it coming and immediately rushed up to him ramming the butts of their weapons into his ribs. Barret reeled from the blows but continued to glare at his enemy. 

"You bastard!" He seethed quietly. "You're not going to get away with this!"

Shinra raised in eyebrow in amused curiosity at Barret's comment. "Oh? And how aren't I going to get away with this when I get away with everything else I do? Ha! This is what you get for opposing me! You didn't really think your heinous crimes would go unnoticed before my ever watchful eyes did you?"

"F*ck you!" Barret spat in anger. 

Shinra continued to chuckle then turned his attention towards his other prisoners. "Ahh and what about my two beautiful female guests. Are my accommodations to your liking? If there's anything you need, feel free to ask me any time. My men are at your service."

"What do you want with us Shinra!" Tifa hissed with nearly the same spite as Barret.

"With you my dear? You will be my star attraction in Midgar. You will be the new toy for my agent Cornelio. You will be his to do with as he pleases. He has offered my a very handsome sum for you and I would be adverse to turn him down now wouldn't I?"

Tifa glared at him with deep hatred in her eyes. "You sick twisted bastard."

Shinra took on a look of shock. "Oh am I? What could possibly be wrong with my choice of action? Your beautiful, desirable, and worth lots of money. The perfect combination don't you think? Besides, you will be much better off then your companion over there."

Now Tifa was fuming with rage. "What do you plan to do with Aeris you sick F*ck!"

Shinra chuckled once more. "She will be given to Hojo of course. I imagine he will dissect her and perform all kinds of scientific experiments on her for his own amusement."

Tifa could see Aeris flinch visibly from the news. She quickly stood protectively in front of her friend. "You're NOT getting your hands on her you slimy bastard! You hear me!"

"Its already too late. You can do nothing about it." 

Suddenly the doors once again opened behind them. Both women looked in horror as they saw who was dragged inside. Both Zack and Cloud looked battered and beaten, as if tortured, Zack more so then Cloud. Apparently, Cloud's bullet wounds had been healed and once the guards stopped pushing them, he stood firmly on his own two feet yet Zack was still hanging limply, his face bashed in and his entire body full of sores and bruises. For some odd reason Cloud stood dejectedly away from his injured friend and wouldn't even cast him a sidelong glance. In return the black haired mercenary simply kept his head low, too worn and beaten to do anything else. His clothing was in tatters and blood matted his entire face. 

Shinra smiled immediately when he looked towards his knew prisoners. "Ahh my star attractions have finally arrived! Now the show truly begins!"

Aeris looked on anxiously at both men. "Cloud! Zack! Are you both alright?"

"Both of them are fine in one sense or another." Came a creepy, almost maniacal voice from the distance. A voice Aeris recognized all too well and shuddered immediately at the sound. 

"They were made of better stuff then to be affected like regular humans. They are… something far better…"

"Who are you?" Tifa asked spitefully, already dreading the answer. 

"I am Professor Hojo, Chief scientist of this facility."

Tifa glared with hateful eyes towards the Dark haired scientist. "So you're the bastard who's put Aeris through such pain and misery!"

Hojo seemed mildly amused by her statement. "Oh? So the drone still remembers me then? That is good, things will go much smoother that way."

Tifa was now livid with anger and rage. "You son of a-"

"SILENCE!" Shinra interjected forcefully. "That is enough banter. You all are hereby charged with treason against the state. You have all plotted in terrorist activities against my dwelling and now you shall all be penalized for it. Barret Wallace, as leader of the rebel group who has continually destroyed my multi-gil reactors, you are sentenced to death. You will be executed publicly to serve as an example to all those who dare conspire against me. And the rest of you, by aiding him in his struggle, are all deemed as his accomplices and will all be judged accordingly. As I have said before, the Ancient is to be turned over to Hojo for scientific purposes. Tifa is to be traded off to Cornelio. The CAT,-" He said, pointing to the orange animal sitting next to Barret. "-Is also to be contributed to the science department for its similar crimes against my company. And as for my prized prisoners." Shinra began to smirk deviously. "They too shall be given over to Hojo. The dark haired one is to also be tortured excessively for his added crime against me! The crime of betrayal!"

"Betrayal?" Both Aeris and Tifa asked in unison. 

"What do you mean?" Aeris asked. 

Shinra chuckled again as he saw Zack's head rise ever so slightly from mention of his past. These were the kinds of things Shinra loved the most. Kicking his adversaries when they were down. 

"Yes, as I'm sure you can already guess, Zack was once an officer of Shinra. Had it not been for Hojo's desire to study and experiment on him, he would have already been executed by now."

Aeris looked on, unbelievingly at Shinra then turned her eyes towards the beaten dark haired mercenary. "It's a lie isn't it!? Say it's not true Zack!"

"Ahh but he can't!" Hojo interrupted. "For if he did, he knows he would only be denying the truth and his very heritage. Zack has been a very strong part of Shinra for nearly his whole life! This man already knows the truth and has accepted it!" He viciously pointed towards his blond prisoner. 

Cloud continued to not say anything but merely continued staring off into space with an angry scowl of betrayal on his face. 

Shinra saw Cloud's angry look and smiled evilly to himself. "Yes, that's right! He betrayed you all. He lied to you. Used your friendship to further his own goals. He is nothing more then a traitor and cannot be trusted. He's always been the sly devil you see before you now. For him, he is merely getting his just desserts."

Aeris still looked unbelievingly towards the beaten mercenary. "Zack…? It's not true is it?… Say something please? Tell me you weren't working for Shinra!"

Zack's head rose slightly and the look he gave Aeris made her heart want to break. His eyes were those of a lost man. Lost and broken. As if his world had just ended and he was now lost in a nightmare. 

"…Zack?"

Suddenly Hojo's eyes narrowed dangerously then he quickly walked up to the dark haired man and yanked his head back forcefully by pulling on his hair.

"Here's your proof!" the maniacal scientist seethed. He quickly pulled out at Cure 3 materia and activated it on Zack's shattered body. Aeris Tifa and Barret all watched in slight awe as Zack's body slowly began to mend itself back together at an alarming rate and in no time at all, his body healed completely to perfection. Never before had they seen a cure spell that strong. 

Hojo smirked at their reactions. "Hmph! Usually, when a person is subjected to this kind of high level of materia usage, the body is momentarily showered with immense levels of mako energy. To a normal human, that has no significant value, however… with a Shinra officer who has been subjected to elite training,-" Hojo once again gripped Zack's head, forcing it even higher then pried the man's eyes open with his bony fingers. What they saw shocked them all. No longer did Zack have the recognizable, soft brown eyes of the mercenary they all knew but now he had the glowing, bright green orbs belonging to that of a Shinra Elite; A Shinra SOLDIER! Hojo smirked and finished his statement. 

"-It makes all the difference in the world!"

Aeris backed away from the dark haired man in horrified disgust. Tifa similarly backed away with a disappointed look pasted on her face as she looked at Zack. Barret simply glared evenly at the man but said nothing and tried not to let his emotions show through too much. Cloud was the only one who didn't seem to be affected by this. He didn't seem to be affected by anything that had happened in the room for that matter. He simply continued to wear the mask of heavy betrayal mixed with anger on his face.

Tifa looked sadly at the blond haired man. "Cloud…? Cloud are you alright?"

Hojo glared once more. "Specimen C121 is perfectly fine. He is merely suffering from an abnormal human emotion. He will adjust after I have finished my treatments on him."

Tifa shot a heated glare towards the mad scientist. "You sick bastard! Don't you touch Cloud you hear me?!" Don't you dare lay a finger on him!" As she ranted on, Tifa became more and more livid with anger and hatred. 

Hojo merely shrugged it off and walked towards Shinra. "I believe I have done my part. I must get back to my studies as soon as possible."

Shinra nodded. "Yes of course. You are excused. And that goes for my prisoners as well. Guards take them away!"

The guards began to lead Zack and Cloud down a separate area away from the other prisoners. Tifa continued to struggle against her bonds and the arms of the soldiers who where now leading her away from the man she cared deeply about. Yet soon Tifa painfully realized she was the only one left fighting. No one else resisted. No one else tried to defy the destiny Shinra had pre-designed for them all. Everyone had simply… given up. 

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Author's note: _Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 21!_


	21. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it.

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 21

Aeris sighed sagely as she rested her head on the hard surface of the mattress in her prison cell. Nearly 4 days had passed since that fateful day they had all met in President Shinra's office. In such a short time so much had changed since then. Everyone was sullen and didn't talk much. Barret was in the next cell over. And on her other side was the room with that strange looking cat who after the past few days, wasn't so strange anymore. The cat's name was Red 13 and he could talk clearly and understand everything they said. It was truly amazing but even still, the red/orange colored cat still was very sullen and didn't really add much to lighten the mood of the group.

Tifa too seemed downwind but mostly she was concerned about Cloud constantly. Of all of them, she seemed like the only one enthusiastic despite all they were going through. She continually reminded everyone that they still had their free will and they could escape if they simply tried. Aeris had to admit she was impressed with the woman and she couldn't help but feel slightly jealous at all the concern Tifa was showing for Cloud. It made Aeris wonder sometimes did she even have to right to love this man when someone like Tifa was there who showed far more love and affection for the man then she. She too was like everyone else, depressed. For some reason, Hojo hadn't called on her for testing yet. Oddly enough, they all were treated relatively well for prisoners. The food was horrible but still, it shocked her that they weren't subjected to any horrors yet. The only one's subjected to anything adverse actually were Cloud and Zack. However this alone broke her heart and made her long to be away from this hated place as soon as possible. 

Every day, early in the mornings they would take both mercenaries away. To whatever horrors they were subjected, no one knew. All they did know was that when they came back late in the night both men had to be dragged back to their cells due to how weak they were. Barret, who shared his cell with Cloud, had told her and Tifa how Cloud would continually moan in his sleep and that he'd sweat profusely. At some points he even said he had to continually tell Cloud who he was because he would laps into trances of disorientation and unrecognition of anything. 

This scared Aeris more then anything. Was Hojo trying to take away Cloud's very memory? Trying to turn him into a mindless weapon that wouldn't remember anything? Not even her? Aeris feared for Cloud and what horrors lay in wait for them all. Despite everything, she also felt concern for Zack as well. No one would talk to the dark haired mercenary whenever they delivered him back to his cell. However he didn't really seem to have any problems with it as he never said anything back in turn. It was as if he was simply a mute puppet being walked away, all of his previous humanity stripped away. 

This also troubled her more then she liked to admit. Zack had always been a strong supporter for her. Seeing him like this made her feel awful inside. Even if he was a traitor, he had been there for her when she needed him. As a matter of fact, the more she thought about it, the more she was convinced she didn't care what his past was. The Zack she knew before was a man she would trust unwaveringly. She didn't care if he led her into the trap. Simply for the fact that he was there for her. That was enough for Aeris. 

The sudden hiss of the door as it mechanically opened in the next two rooms broke Aeris away from her short reverie. She quickly perked up to the small slot that allowed her to look into the next room. From her vantage point she could see a guard forcefully shoving Cloud onto the hard floor. Barret was up in a heartbeat yelling at the guard only to get hit in the stomach with the butt of the soldier's rifle. 

A soft rustle behind her, signaled that Tifa was now waking up from the commotion on her side of the cell. 

"Aeris what's going on?" She asked rubbing her eyes sleepily. 

"What else? Barret's at it again."

Tifa sighed heavily. "Oh… arguing with the guards again huh?"

Aeris nodded but then trained her eyes back on what was transpiring in the room beyond. Barret slowly eased Cloud up to a sitting position while the blond haired man simply nodded in and out of consciousness. 

"Those bastards…" Barret mumbled under his breath.

"Barret… Is he ok?" Aeris asked from her position in the next room. However, before Barret could answer her, another voice rang out from the adjoining room on the other side. 

"He's going to be fine. Just let him rest for a bit."

Aeris quickly turned her head the other way and rushed to the other side of the room nearly trampling over Tifa in the process. 

"Zack?! Zack what did they do to him?"

Zack was quiet for a bit then answered softly. "We were induced with heavy amounts of mako energy. Hojo is trying to pump us up with more enhancement solutions along with something else… something new which Hojo keeps ranting and raving about. Whatever it is, its supposed to make Cloud lose his memory or something I guess because every time Cloud zones out and starts acting strange, Hojo starts talking about how marvelous he is, then when he wakes back up Hojo gets furious. He keeps complaining that I'm not responding at all to the call of something or the other. Anyway whatever's going on, I guess Cloud's responding better to it because he keeps on pumping Cloud up more with that stuff every time he shows signs of what Hojo's looking for. I don't know what's going on."

Tifa narrowed her eyes slightly. "Hmph! That's pretty convenient for someone who's a traitor."

"Tifa!" aeris said in a reprimanding voice. "You can't mean that!" 

"Can't I?" Tifa asked in anger. "He betrayed us! He was working for Shinra the entire time!"

Aeris couldn't answer and so an uncomfortable silence broke throughout the rooms. 

"…I'm sorry…" Came Zack's hallow, dreadful voice, breaking the silence of the three rooms. 

"What?" Tifa asked in an unbelieving voice. "It's a little too late for that crap you mercenary!" 

"Tifa… I never wanted to hurt any of you. I didn't want to get you all involved in my past."

"That's bull$hit!" Tifa spat! "You knew what you were doing when you-"

"Tifa please!" Aeris cried in alarm. "Stop this! I'm sure there's just some kind of misunderstanding. I know Zack wouldn't betray us like that!"

"Wake up Aeris! The guy sold us out to Shinra!"

"Tifa… stop"

Everyone turned at the sound of the sudden intense voice in the distance.

"C…Cloud?" Tifa asked in shock. 

"Tifa…" Came Cloud's exhausted voice in the other room. "Please stop. Let's just hear him out… I've known Zack longer then anyone else here and even though I'm mad enough to hate his guts now for never telling me any of this, I know him well enough to know that he couldn't have been a traitor. Not that whole time… and if he is… I'd like to hear it from him… I'd like to hear him say it instead of some Shinra goons."

From his cell across the room Zack nodded his head respectively. "Thank you friend…I wanted to tell you all but… I just couldn't. I thought I could protect you all from the ghosts of my past… but I guess I'm not that lucky."

Zack shifted in his position on the floor and leaned his back against the wall to prop his fatigued body while he told his tale. "About 15 years ago Shinra came to my home town in Gangaga. They offered us the prospect of being the second town to ever go under the project of having Shinra reactors built into them. That was also during the earlier parts of the Wutai war. Shinra was loosing during that time as you know. However, in a gesture of patriotism, Gangaga agreed to have the reactor built in their town. A year later the tide of battle in the Wutai war was beginning to turn due to the efforts of the special elite Shinra had been producing in their military. A group of artificial super soldiers respectively called SOLDIERS. At the same time, there was one boy in the SOLDIER program who excelled beyond all others. This boy inspired all of us in Gongaga. We all wanted to be like him. This boy was only 16 at the time and already he was stronger then all other SOLDIERS and was like an untouchable angel of death on the battlefield. As you all can guess, this person was Sephiroth."

Zack paused for a moment, knowing Cloud would be taking this new information grudgingly hard. He gulped down the sudden lump in his throat then continued. "I was one of those inspired kids. I, like the rest of the kids in my neighborhood, joined the SOLDIER program and signed on as prospective youths to one day join in as the elite and maybe if the war had lasted long enough, we too could have our chance to become great hero's. However, the war didn't last, and many of the kids couldn't handle the strain of youth training for SOLDIER. I was one of the only few that lasted long enough. I was so sure of myself then, I was determined not to fail. I was determined to be just as cool as Sephiroth. On my 13th birthday, three years after I had signed on to the SOLDIER youth program they began exposing me and the other kids to small levels of mako enhancement energy. Not enough to really do anything at that level but to see if our bodies could handle it none the less. Most of the kids couldn't. I barely could myself but I stayed on and my body adapted. Soon I became a very prominent member of the SOLDIER program and by the time I was 14 I was practically considered a SOLDIER by some. I had even had the honor be being teamed up with Sephiroth for certain milk run missions just to give me the experience. Sephiroth became something of an older brother for me during those times. He looked out for me and watched my back and I in turn looked out for him whenever I could. He never seemed to need it though. He was like a machine the way he could perceive everything. Well by the time I was 16 I was put into a group with a few other people my age bucking for the SOLDIER program. We kinda got along but I had a rivalry going on with one of them. Those cadets are now known as the Turks and that rival as you can guess by now is Tseng. They weren't good enough to make it to SOLDIER. None of them except me. Perhaps Shinra knew that already when he had thrown us all in together. Perhaps that was his way of exacting the plan he unfolded later. My companions realized I was far ahead of them in all SOLDIER related things and so they knew I easily surpassed them. That's where the enmity came from, most apparent in Tseng then the rest. One day Sephiroth took me to the side and told me that I should be aware of Shinra's dark side and that I should leave Shinra before my soul became as black and tainted as everything else that belonged to them. He said I was too pure to be soiled by such evil. Of course at the time I didn't know what he was talking about so I warded him off about it but we still remained close friends. Shortly after, Shinra assigned us our first mission and wouldn't you know it, it was at my home town. They had been complaining about a reactor leak for some time and, as I was far away from home, I didn't really know about all the specifics but Shinra told us to clean up. I took great pride in that and was excited about it until I got there. When I did I found that shinra wasn't really trying to fix there mistakes but cover them up. The Cadets I once called friends, ruthlessly killed all the citizens of my village right before my eyes. I tried to stop them but there were just too many of them. Then there was Tseng… He killed my mother right before my very eyes. I fought him of course and defeated him just as easily. That's why he has the metal arm now. I took away a part of him just as he, by killing my family, took away a part of me. After that, I fled my village, fled my rank, fled the life that had all of a sudden become too tainted for me to live in anymore. I never turned back. I never returned to my old home. There was nothing left for me. Some time after that, I ran into Cloud. We were so much alike. Once he told me of Sephiroth and his insanity, that was the final nail in the coffin. My past was dead and buried. All possible links to my ever wanting to return to it were all destroyed. I started a new life, joining forces with Cloud and becoming a mercenary. And… that's about it…"

"I thought you told me you were a mercenary before then…" Cloud asked, his voice raw from utter shock by Zack's tale. 

"That… was sort of a lie. I had planned to become a mercenary and Neiblheim was indeed my first choice. I set out towards there looking for work but after seeing the village in shambles that kinda killed that idea."

"So… you were friends with Sephiroth…? That maniac?"

Zack lowered his head in shame. "That's why I never told you Cloud. Sephiroth took everything from you just like Shinra took everything from me. It would be impossible for you to see Sephiroth in the same light I saw him in. The way he was before I left Shinra. I… I just wanted to forget about my past. Forget about everything. I guess you could even say my deciding to join up with you at first was partially due to wanting to fix the wrongs Sephiroth brought upon you. But later I truly did become your friend Cloud. And I've been your friend ever since. I'd never betray you or any of the rest of you. You've always been like a brother to me Cloud… more so then Sephiroth ever was…"

The entire area was silent. Truly Zack's story had astonished them all. They couldn't possibly have realized his life had faced such a tragedy. 

"So then you're not a traitor?" Tifa asked lightly.

"Only to Shinra. They deceived me and used me. I would never work for them again!" 

Once again, silence enshrouded the area. Suddenly Cloud's voice broke the silence. 

"Zack…I still don't like the fact that you've kept this from me but…On some level, I can understand why you did what you did… Zack forget about your past…your part of a team now, your one of us! Its time we started trusting each other once again. All of us!"

A soft swoop up mutterings and short comments signified that everyone else agreed with this statement. A light smile rose up to Zack's face. They had forgiven him. Zack could barely suppress his joy, but at the same time full of even more dread then ever before. He couldn't accept his own sins. It was true they may have forgiven him but now he wasn't so sure if he could forgive himself. He felt responsible for all that had happened to him. In his eyes, it was his fault Jessie and the other Avalanche members died. It was his fault they were all imprisoned now. And it was his fault Cloud was being subjected through all these experiments now. _'I'm sorry everyone...' _Zack thought to himself in silence._ 'But some way, some how, I'll make things right again, one way or another, I'll find us all a way out of this hell hole.'_

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Author's note: _Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 22._


	22. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no profit from it.

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 22

Zack woke up for the fifth time. He simply could not sleep and not because of the horrible experiments he and Cloud were subjected to on a daily basis. It was something much worse, guilt. He simply couldn't stop worrying and blaming himself over all that had gone wrong. _'Why hadn't I told them before!'_ He berated himself mentally. _'They would have understood! If only I'd have just told them earlier, Jessie and the others may still have been alive. If only I'd have done something right off the bat instead of running away… if only…'_

Zack angrily shot up out of bed. He had never been one to mope and feel sorry for himself. He had always been that type of person who was a doer. He would never let the moment consume him for too long. He would always handle what needed to be handled and be done with it. But why now? Why, after all these years, was he now feeling self regret and pity for himself. He had never remembered being this weak before. 

Zack briskly shook his head to clear his mind of the troublesome thoughts that plagued him. What he needed now was a level head so that he could figure out a way to finally get them all out of this prison. 

Zack sat there, letting the silence of the night wash over him, eliminating his worries with every wave, even if only temporarily. Zack loved silence actually. He felt as if it brought the stillness of time. A short reprieve where he could collect himself and relax from the everyday worries of life. 

Suddenly something clicked to Zack, breaking him out of his light reverie. He narrowed his eyes in concern then propped himself out of his bed and looked around anxiously. 

Red 13 shifted uncomfortably over at his spot by the door, awakened by Zack's commotion. 

"What's wrong?" The Cat asked in a gruff voice. At one time, the Avalanche members found that voice somewhat intimidating, however as time passed they had all gotten used to the young animal's heavy voice and sometimes gruff exterior, accepting them both as normal. Thus Zack was not in the least bit alarmed by the animal's somewhat annoyed exterior or tone. 

Zack shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm not sure exactly… Something just… doesn't feel right…"

Red raised his eyebrow ever so slightly then slowly rose up to his 4 feet. "Now that you mention it…"

Now it was Zack's turn to cast his glance towards Red. "What is it? What do you sense?"

"…Blood. I smell blood. It's very faint but I recognize that scent anywhere…"

Zack tensed slightly and absently twitched his fingers in the start of a gesture of reaching for his buster sword. "Blood? Where?"

"A little ways beyond our cell. A couple yards at most…"

Zack nodded his head then rushed towards their cell door, looking out through the window slot. "Look's pretty quiet out there to me." He said, not turning to face the fire-tailed animal. "I wonder what's going on."

Then, suddenly, the door automatically hissed open by its own accord. Zack immediately jumped back and assumed a fighting stance. He looked around tentatively from right to left then stepped back into the room to regard the equally surprised cat. 

"What do you think?" He asked lightly.

"Nowhere to go but forward."

Zack nodded his head and together the two prisoners cautiously walked out into the hall, completely on guard for any unwanted surprises. 

"Looks quiet… too quiet." Red hissed in a silent whisper. Had the situation not been so tense, Zack might have laughed for the absurdity of how the young cat sounded in that very instance. However, Zack pushed it to the back of his mind for another time, then scanned ahead a few feet down the hallway. 

"Hey Red!" Zack called after walking a few more feet. "Come over here. I think I see something."

Red caught up with the dark haired mercenary but quickly gasped and turned his face away in disgust. After closer inspection, Zack too averted his eyes away from the ghastly scene ahead of them.

"I knew I smelled blood close by." Red grumbled distastefully. Zack nodded and trained his eyes once more on the maimed body lying on the floor in front of them. Zack slowly kneeled down and turned the body over on its back. He felt like he was going to be sick for a week at the sight of how badly the body was torn and maimed. 

"Well, one things for sure." Zack said, covering his nose from the terribly strong scent of fresh blood. "This guy was definitely our jailor. At least he was a few hours ago."

Red looked at Zack quizzically. "How can you be so sure this happened a few hours ago? This could have very well happened a few minutes ago and the killer could be waiting behind the corner to tag us next."

"I don't think so." Zack refuted. "Look at his wounds. The deep cut marks are fresh, of that I'm certain, but they're not that fresh. Usually when a wound like this has been opened, it take about a few hours for it to pucker out and decolorize like this. This guy's been dead for at least a few hours. Maybe two, three at the most."

Red nodded grudgingly then looked back towards Zack. "So what do you suggest we do now?"

"Like you said before, it's probably very dangerous out there. But still… these sword marks… only a pro could have killed this man with such precision and accuracy as this…"

"We should get the others…"

"Right!" Zack replied breaking away from his thoughts then rising back up to his feet. "You go on ahead and free the others, I'm going to scout ahead a bit and make sure our path is clear. Whatever's going on out there, Shinra brought it upon themselves and its got nothing to do with us. Our main goal is to get the hell out of here while we still have the chance."

"Zack are you sure you want to scout alone? You said, whoever's killing these Shinra guards is a pro, right? You may not be able to take him on by yourself."

"We've got no choice at this point Red. If we both go, who's going to alert the others? They need to be awake and ready as soon as possible or they might end up getting attacked too."

Red grumbled his disapproval but said nothing. 

"Don't worry about it Red, I'll be careful. At the first sign of danger I'll turn the other way and find another way for us to take. You just focus on helping the others ok? Take care of em Red. I'm counting on you."

Red 13 gave Zack a final nod then rushed off towards where they had came. Zack watched him a few more seconds until he was completely gone then turned back towards the entrance of the hallway and continued down the narrow hall. 

Zack still couldn't shake the eerie feeling that washed over him. He soon picked up the pace and began running further down the corridor, darting his eyes right and left in case of danger. Before he knew it, he was in one of the larger area's of the Shinra building, however the sight he saw now was suddenly more appalling then anything he could have expected. The floor was riddled with lifeless corpse and scattered body parts. Blood smeared the floors at all areas. 

Zack could hardly believe his eyes. How could anyone kill this many people? Perhaps there was a group of them. They would all have had to have great skill to have been able to execute the Shinra guards in such a way though. Perhaps they were trained rebels. If that was the case then maybe the nightmare of Shinra would come to an end sooner then they all thought. 

Zack quickly ran down the left corridor. If his memory served him right, that was the area where they usually stored prisoners weapons, assuming they still stored them there after all the years that had passed. Even as he neared further into the less open area's of the building, the death toll continued to intensify. Zack could feel his mind reeling from the acrid stench of blood and open flesh. He forcefully pulled his attention away from it and instead focused on his objective at hand.

Much to his relief, he found the weapons storage area which, indeed, had not been relocated since his absence. Zack anxiously grabbed his buster sword then rushed out of the room feeling somewhat more invigorated by the new weight of cold steel in his hands. He quickly headed back towards the way he had come._ 'Now all I have to do is get everyone else here to retrieve their weapons too and then we'll be all set to get out of this hell whole!'_

Once again, he ran through the main hall of that level then darted towards the corridor where he had come. Suddenly the blare of machine gun fire cut Zack off from his plans, causing him to avert his attention back towards the source of the new noise. Perhaps there were rebels fighting the Shinra soldiers. What if they needed help? Zack weighed his options then decided it best to at least check it out. It would also give him a chance to scout a little further ahead. 

He quickly darted towards the escalators taking him upward. Once on the new level, a whole new world of death awaited him. Zack gasped inwardly at the sight of all the dead bodies lying around like huge heaps of meat. There were twice as many dead here then on the last floor. 

Zack turned his head right and left in the hopes of finding any signs that someone was fighting close by but didn't spot any. He quickly ran up the next flight of stairs and the next after that, continuing up until finally he reached the top floor, only 5 floors above where their cell area was located. Zack was flabbergasted at the huge scenes of death he had seen on his way up but still determined to find out if these new enemies of Shinra were friend or foe. 

He suddenly heard the faint noise of heated conversation above. Zack quickly scaled the last flight of stairs leading towards President Shinra's office. Both guards who usually guarded the door were now utterly slaughtered. Zack sucked in a tense breath and moved one of the bodies that had been lying in front of the door, out of the way. He promptly opened the door however the scene that welcomed him was far beyond anything he could possibly imagine. 

President Shinra was lying face down on his table, blood oozing down his face from the huge wound on his back. And from his back was none other then a huge masamune sword. _'Masamune!'_

Zack quickly ran up to the dead President to inspect the sword more closely. There was only one person he knew who carried a sword like that. The soft clatter of feet walking towards him suddenly broke him away from his thoughts and he spun around swiftly to face this new intruder. 

"…It's been a long time Zack…" the new entity said in a soft tone.

Zack could hardly believe his eyes as he stared, wide-eyed, towards the figure standing before him. His breath came in short gasps and he felt fresh goose bumps race up his arms and all across his back. Only one solid thought penetrated his flustered mind at that exact moment. 

"S- Sephiroth?!?"

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Author's note: _Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 23!_


	23. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of them. This fic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I own none of it. 

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 23

Zack still couldn't believe his eyes. Even after that eerie, shadowy voice spoke directly to him his senses were stunned to a point where he simply couldn't perceive what was being said. If anything, Zack found himself in a whirlwind of complete and utter shock. 

Sephiroth looked at the startled man in mild annoyance. He slowly walked over to the now dead President of Shinra, his cape trailing behind him in perfect proportion with his silky, silver hair. He easily reached out and yanked his sword free of its home inside the man's back. Pulling out a white cloth from one of the many hidden folds in his cape, he brought the material against his blade, wiping it clean of any residual blood left behind from the recent attack. 

"Has it been so long that you have forgotten how to speak?" He asked, giving voice to his annoyed demeanor. 

At the sudden change in tone, Zack quickly snapped out of his trance and blinked his eyes rapidly. "Sephiroth? Is that really you?"

The silvery haired man closed his eyes and brought the palm of his hand to his forehead in a gesture of angry annoyance. "Do you really expect me to answer that question Zack? Really, you must learn to taste you words so that they sound palatable before allowing them to flow from your mouth."

Once again Zack felt himself falling into the role of undisciplined pupil towards the silver haired man standing before him. Yet he was no longer a child anymore. Zack gripped his hands anxiously into fists. "I don't understand. How did you survive Sephiroth? What's going on? Why did you attack Shinra? Why did you kill the President?"

A small smile formed on the ex-general's lips. The complete irony almost made him laugh. Even after all the years that had passed, his old apprentice was still the brash young youth he had always been. Despite the fact that he had clearly matured in some ways, there were still the many old habits Sephiroth found himself noticing in the man even now. "So many questions an no time to allow me to answer. That is the height of Rudeness Zack. I had thought I would have trained you better then that."

"Enough with the humor Sephiroth!" Zack said growing more and more tense by the moment. "What's going on here?"

Sephiroth continued to stare at the dark haired man in silence for a moment longer, then shifted in his steps. "Fine, in the spirit of times past, I will tell you." 

Zack remained quite, following the leather clad man as he walked easily across the room. 

"Think of a world Zack. A world free of the oppressive rule of Shinra and all other controlling forces. Think of a world beyond your wildest imaginations. Where you alone, have free rule over what you do and how you do it. Total freedom Zack! Think about it!"

Zack narrowed his eyes slightly. "You can stop with the riddles already Sephiroth. What are you talking about?"

"Power my friend! Complete and utter power! I am talking about the creation of a new world! The molding of a new era of dominance all under the watchful eye of a new being of pure greatness."

Zack was completely flustered by his ex-mentors words. "Sephiroth…"

"Join me Zack! Join me in creating a new world for mother! Together we can become rulers under her command! Aid me in ridding her of the annoyance of this world! Together we can create a world anew. One much better and ripe for greatness! A world destined for people like us! A world destined for warriors!"

Zack blinked his eyes incomprehensibly. "Sephiroth… what are you saying? You're talking madness! You want to destroy the world? Why? What purpose would that serve and who is this mother your talking about? Sephiroth your not well…"

" Quite the contrary Zack! Ever since Nibleheim, I have never thought so clearly in my entire life! Zack you can help me! I have finally retrieved mother from the confines of this building. These…" Sephiroth viciously pointed towards the dead President. "Maniacs! They tried to hide mother from me! But I made them pay! I made them all suffer for the wrongs they have done against mother and I! They cannot stop me now!"

Zack continued to look with horrified eyes at the man he once called brother, as he continued to rant and rave in his maniacal manner. 

Sephiroth continued unheeded by Zack's expression. "Once I eliminate the Ancient there won't be any other obstacles in my way. Mother will be freed once more and she will return to glory."

Suddenly Zack's eyes snapped even wider. "Ancient?!? You mean Aeris???"

"Ahh so you know her then. This is good. Things will go much smoother this way."

Zack shut his eyes tightly against the new pain washing over his entire being. The sting of betrayal burned deep in his heart. He could hardly comprehend that this person, this… thing, used to be the man he once called his mentor in the past. He clenched his fists furiously, finally coming to the conclusion that there was no other choice left to him.

"I can't let you get away with that…" He said softly. 

Sephiroth immediately broke off from his wild ranting and trained his eyes once more towards his young dark haired pupil. "What did you say?"

"I can't let you do this Sephiroth…" Zack repeated, more forcefully then before. "Aeris is my friend and I won't let you harm her. I won't let you get your hands on any of my friends!"

Sephiroth was completely taken aback by these sudden words. He had definitely not been expecting Zack to utter them. "What are you implying?"

"Refusing to open his eyes to the expression on his old mentor's face, Zack promptly yanked his buster sword from the sheath behind his back. "I won't let you hurt them Sephiroth. I will… kill you… to protect them from being hurt by you."

Sephiroth nearly laughed from the irony that had just invaded his senses. The scene now taking place before him was almost comical in nature. He could hardly believe what was now transpiring before his very eyes. "Zack… Do you know what you're saying? Think clearly upon the words you utter. I don't want you as an enemy. I would rather not have to slay you after investing so much time in training you to become the exceptional fighter that you now are."

Finally Zack opened his eyes and stared with raw determination towards his one time master. Once again his eyes were the fiery green color of a mako enhanced SOLDIER. At that very instant Sephiroth knew his young pupil had made his final decision. 

A slight frown creased the man's face then he slowly assumed his own fighting stance. "Very well then… If that is your wish Zack, then I shall endeavor not to disappoint you."

Zack took a final steady breath and nodded his head in silent compliance to the agreement the two men had just forged. Only fighters as skilled and determined as them could possibly understand the momentous power behind that single sentence and the gesture, which was returned. Only warriors could understand the pain and determination of those actions. 

Both men simply stood there, as if silently reliving the good times they each shared together and how much they would regret the future that lay beyond. They were now mortal enemies and nothing would ever change that. 

Suddenly, Zack snapped his head forward and charged towards his opponent with a quickness far surpassing anything even he could have ever expected himself capable of. The whole room exploded into a furious flash of lightning speed and sword thrusts. Zack swung as fast and precise as he could, each attack coming in faster then the speed of light. Unfortunately for him, Sephiroth skillfully dodged each and every attack only blocking the last strike. 

Zack hopped away deftly then slowly the two men began to circle one another. 

"Even with the powers of a SOLDIER you still can't hope to defeat me! You know that Zack! Give up now before things go too far!"

In response, Zack once again charged in, swinging an overhead strike then angling it down into a diagonal slash at the last second. Sephiroth was the epitome of perception, however, as he skillfully ducked the first attack and blocked the second. He then forced Zack back as their swords clashed once more. Sephiroth moved in one single perfect arch hammering Zack yet again and flinging him forcefully into the wall from the power of his attack. 

Zack crumbled from the impact of the blow and promptly coughed up a pool of blood onto the marble office floor. 

Sephiroth held a steady gaze on his opponent then turned away evenly. "This is pointless Zack. It is a wasted effort trying to defeat me." Sephiroth began walking away when suddenly a voice called out to him yet again.

"Hold it!" Zack said, forcing himself to his feet as he leaned heavily on his propped sword for support. "T- the battle's not…over yet."

Sephiroth cast the man an annoyed glance then assumed his fighting position once more. Zack gave him no more time to wait as he charged in ruthlessly for his second attack.

****

Cloud snapped straight up in alarm at the sound of his cell door opening. However was still opening at a slow rate. His mind raced frantically to come up with a conclusion as to why the guards had come so soon. Was Hojo planning something even more dreadful for him and Zack? Cloud shuddered from the thought. He didn't know if he could take any more of those experiments the mad scientist was subjecting both he and Zack through. 

He quickly glanced over towards Barret and saw that the burly man was just now beginning to stir awake from the sounds. Cloud rose up to his feet evenly. Whatever horrors lay in wait ahead for him he would face them like a man. He would not give Shinra the satisfaction of hiding away like some coward. 

However, once the door had finished opening and he got a good look at who was standing behind it, his jaw dropped in complete and utter astonishment. 

"CLOUD!" Aeris screamed in joy at seeing the young man again. 

Tifa looked more closely and slightly gasped in surprise. "Cloud… Your eyes…"

Cloud glanced back towards her, smiling sheepishly as he scratched the back up his head. "Yeah I know. They're green now. Just like Zack's. I think it's because of that stuff Hojo's been pumping us with in his experiments."

Barret groggily rose to his feet. "Where is Zack anyway?"

Aeris eyes grew wide and she too began looking around anxiously. "Yeah, where's he at?"

"He left to scout ahead." Came a voice from the back of the group. 

Cloud walked over to the orange/ red cat. "Red, you know what's going on?"

The fire-tailed animal nodded his head slowly. "Yeah but not by much. A while ago Zack woke me up saying that something felt uneasy to him. When we checked around in our cell, we found that our door was unlocked. We immediately scouted outside to figure out what was going on but all we found was a dead corpse a few yards back. Zack took off to see what was going on and find us an escape route while I got the rest of you out of your cells."

Cloud was livid with anxiety at this. "What? You mean someone's invaded Shinra and Zack's gone off on his own? That's way too reckless. We've gotta go find him! He may be in over his head!" 

The rest of the group nodded in agreement. "He ran off down this path." Red said, walking in the direction of the dead body. 

"Let's hurry!" Cloud urged and rushed off down the corridor. The rest of the group quickly scattered after him, trying to keep up with his pace. 

Cloud quickly scaled the halls until he landed upon the main hall of their level. He nearly choked in shocked surprise at what he found. Lying in front of him were a dozen dead bodies all hacked and maimed beyond recognition. Cloud quickly averted his eyes from the ghastly scene and could hear the sudden intake of breath from Aeris a few feet away. 

"Damn what happened here?" Barret asked in mild interest as he walked up alongside Cloud. The blond haired mercenary shook his head in confusion. "I don't have a clue. Who could have done this…"

Barret continued to survey the onslaught with disgust. "Whoever it was must have been pretty damn powerful that's for sure."

Cloud nodded absentmindedly then snapped his head up yet again. "If that's the case then we need to get to Zack a soon as possible. Whoever did this could have easily ran into Zack along the way and now he may need our help."

"I don't know about that…" Barret said evenly. "I mean look at all this. Whoever it was that did this must have been determined to shut Shinra down for good. If that's their motivation then we've got nothing to worry about. I mean that would make us allies right?"

Cloud didn't answer but continued to stare off into space. "… I don't know… but I've still got a bad feeling about all of this. Let's just hurry up and find Zack so we can get the hell out of this graveyard." 

"I'm all for that idea." Tifa replied in a tense, shaky voice.

"So it's all agreed then." 

"But where do we start?" Aeris asked in a pensive voice. "I mean this place is huge. Zack could be anywhere!"

"It smells like the trail of blood leads upwards…" Red said in a calm voice.

"Hmm Red's got a good idea there." Cloud agreed. "I'm guessing we keep heading upwards. Even if we don't find Zack, at least we can get an idea as to who is doing all of this. Like Barret said, we may be in luck and end up finding more allies."

Barret tightened his fist in determined resolve. "Then lets do what we gotta do! I don't wanna hang around this place any longer then I have to ya know?"

Cloud nodded his head and they all quickly ran up the stairs towards the higher levels. Red took the lead and he continued to guide them towards the trail of blood that seemed to continue higher and higher through the building. 

Each Avalanche member in turn became more and more appalled by the varying scenes of mutilation that awaited them at every level but on the same token, it drove them on further to find out what was at the heart of such a massacre. 

Once they finally got to the fifth level, Cloud suddenly stopped, abruptly halting the rest of the group. 

"What's up?" Barret asked in curiosity. 

Cloud immediately raised his hand signaling for the burly man to quiet down. Aeris traded glances with Tifa and both women then turned their eyes towards Cloud again. 

"What's he doing?" Tifa asked. 

"Don't have a clue…" Came Aeris reply. "Maybe he hears something."

"Without turning around to face them, Cloud confirmed Aeris suspicions. "I do… Don't you all hear that? It almost sounds like…"

Suddenly Cloud's eyes grew wide and he quickly rushed off towards the next set of stairs leading upwards. The rest of the group, startled from his sudden actions, tried their best to keep up with his sudden burst of speed. 

Cloud relentlessly continued to speed up the stairs, heedless of his friends plight behind him. He was positive of the sounds he had heard a few seconds before. They were the clear sounds of swords clashing against each other and that could only mean one thing. Zack!

Cloud came up to the main entrance of President Shinra's office. He heedlessly burst through the front doors then all at once his entire world stopped. What transpired a few feet ahead was completely unreal to him. Soon the rest of the group followed close behind. 

"Cloud what happened? Why did you leave us behind?" Aeris asked, not yet taking notice of what was happening only a few feet ahead. 

Cloud didn't answer but simply stared wide-eyed at the scene taking place and at the two men who continued to fight ruthlessly before him. His arms shook with unbridled rage as recognition of the second combatant invaded his senses and finally made its way down to his vocal cords. 

"Sephiroth!"

****

Zack breathed heavily as he and Sephiroth broke away from yet another duel of blades. He felt the strength in his whole body draining rapidly despite the fact that he was infused with mako enhancements. Fresh sweat beaded down his face, blinding his vision somewhat. 

Zack anxiously drove an arm across his brow, eliminating the obstacle of stray sweat falling into his line of vision. Zack knew he needed to concentrate. He only had enough energy for one more attack and then he would be completely spent. 

Zack narrowed his eyes wickedly, summoning all of his strength and speed. Sephiroth looked on calmly towards his opponent as the young dark haired mercenary's eyes began to flare up in a hue of bright green. Still, Sephiroth stood his ground. 

Zack rapidly burst forth in a flash of movement then swung his blade in a downward arch. At the last exact minute Sephiroth pulled back yet not fast enough. Zack's blade bit into fresh flesh and a soft line of blood streaked across Sephiroth's face. A smile formed on Zack's lips at the sight of his sword trailing blood while he finished the downward trail of his attack. 

Suddenly Zack's grin disappeared and his eyes shot wide as he felt the sting of cold solid steel entering his chest. Zack could hardly believe his sense as his eyes trailed down towards the blade that was embedded deep in his heart, literally sucking away the very life from him, then a soft trail of fresh blood slowly began to seep from his lips. He clenched his eyes shut against the sudden pain that engulfed him. Sephiroth was relentless however, and drove his sword even deeper through the man's chest, so close that their faces were merely inches apart from one another. 

Sephiroth looked on almost sympathetically at the man who used to be his pupil. Now the dark haired man's face was laced with pain and he knew it would soon pale and become rigid in death. "It could have been different…" Sephiroth said apologetically. "If only you had joined me this would not have happened…"

To his surprise, Zack inched his eyes open in a final spiteful glare towards his enemy. "Never!"

Sephiroth closed his eyes calmly, a look of sudden sorrow on his face. "So be it." And with one final, swift movement, the silvery haired man yanked his blade away and out of the dark haired man, causing him to fall forward on his knees. Zack let out a final sigh of pain then his, once bright green eyes, slowly dimmed and flickered into hollow orbs of emptiness and his solid corps fell limply to the ground. 

Sephiroth looked on grimly at his handiwork while walking a few feet away from the now dead body lying on the ground. Suddenly his concentration was broken by a loud noise.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Cried the voice of an enraged man with a mane of blond spiky hair. 

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Author's notes: _Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 24!_


	24. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no profit from it.

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 24

__

'This can't be!' Came the wild thoughts of a man half insane with grief and rage. He continued to charge headlong towards the opponent clad in black leather with silvery hair. However, Sephiroth was not the one Cloud constantly looked at now. Instead it was the now lifeless husk of a man he once called friend and brother. 

__

'This can't be possible!' He continued to cry to himself mentally. 

He ran closer…

__

'I won't accept it!'

Even closer…

__

'I refuse to accept it!!'

Closer…

__

'Oh please don't let it be so…'

Closer…

Suddenly Cloud was standing over the dark haired man and within a heartbeat he was kneeling by his friend's side shaking his lifeless body frantically. 

"Come on Zack! Wake up buddy!" The blond haired man cried in a half hysterical voice. 

Hot tears were now streaming down his eyes and his hands shook drastically, growing worse with every passing second. Cloud simply wouldn't stop shaking him. He wouldn't let go and own up to the reality that the husk lying there within his arms was no longer Zack. It was no longer the dark haired brother he had known for the better part of his life. It was no longer the man who could laugh in the face of danger and accept any burden and take it upon himself to rectify. It was no longer Zack.

This fact made the man weep even more as he suddenly dug his face against the dead man's shoulder crying loudly into the night. 

Suddenly Cloud heard the clatter of soft feet and before he realized it, Aeris was prying the dead body from his arms. Reflexively he tugged even harder on the dark haired corps. 

Aeris placed a gentle hand over Cloud's own. Yet when Cloud looked up into her eyes, even more grief arose in his heart, so much he didn't think he could take it anymore. The woman's eyes were almost just as wild with horror and sadness as his own. Her hands where shaking slightly from barely suppress grief, sadness and heartache. Her eyes were glazed with dread and deep pain as tears continued to flow freely from them. Cloud noticed the constant shaking she was getting all over her body yet she continued to overpower it as she pried Zack's body away from his arms. 

"Cloud…please…?"

The very tone in which she said it was more then enough for Cloud's arms to finally go limp. The words came out with such sadness and anxiety, almost as if it was a desperate plea dredging out from her very core. Cloud had no choice. His body no longer worked at his own accord. 

Aeris lightly took Zack up in her arms and suddenly she was shaking even more now. Tears came at an even greater rate as she looked towards the face of the soulless corps. After a few moments, she ruthlessly began to fight back her overwhelming emotions. She closed her eyes to focus and slowly her body began to glow in a soft green color. In a matter of seconds Zack's body too was engulfed in the green glow. 

Tifa, Barret and Red were standing a few feet away from the other two, equal grief evident in their eyes as well. They were completely baffled by Aeris green glow however. 

"What's goin on?" Barret asked in a silent voice.

"I think she's trying to heal him…" Tifa replied mystically. 

Red 13 narrowed his eyes slightly in a concerned manner. "… It's too late for that. No amount of healing can save him now… he's gone."

A few feet away Aeris was just now painfully realizing the very words Red 13 had just muttered. As the dull green glow began to dissipate, Zack's body continued to remain unchanged. Aeris shut her eyes tightly and once again her body began to glow but this time in a voilent green hue surrounding her and Zack both in a huge almost blinding green light. Yet when the light faded, the body still remained the same. 

Aeris silently began to cry again. Cloud too was devastated by the failed attempt.

"Now you see… Life is a cruel mistress indeed." Sephiroth said, speaking for the first time since killing the dark haired man. "The man is dead. Nothing will ever bring him back. Such is the rule of the lifestream correct? This is reality! This!!!" He pointed savagely towards Zack. "Is the price for those who defy mother and I!" 

Suddenly in a matter of seconds, Cloud scooped up Zack's fallen buster sword and charged towards the hated man with lightning speed nearly matching Zack's own. However, Cloud had no time to realize the enhanced abilities as he ruthlessly attacked the silvery haired man. 

Sephiroth's eyes widened slightly at Cloud's speed but it was quickly replaced with an arrogant grin as he deftly sped back in retreat. Sephiroth floated deftly into the air, above Cloud's attacks. 

Cloud growled in insane rage and quickly jumped up in an attack but missed again as Sephiroth was too high up. The silver haired man laughed loudly at the failed attempt. 

"It is useless to defy me! That man has suffered the consequences of such an action. He openly defied me in a sad attempt at protecting you, his friends. That pathetic gesture of heroism cost him his life…." Sephiroth looked up in an almost nostalgic way. "He was always one to act upon drastic decisions. I trust that you all are more intelligent then to try what he has failed at!"

"YOU BASTARD!" Cloud seethed, finally giving voice to his wild emotions. "YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE ME! I WILL KILL YOU! I PROMISE YOU THAT! I WILL GUT YOU LIKE THE PIG YOU ARE!"

Sephiroth chuckled at the man's rage. "A new era has just begun! Rejoice, you all have the privilege of watching the beginning of my conquests! ALL OF MIDGAR, ALL OF THE WHOLE WORLD WITH BE MOLDED IN MOTHERS IMAGE AND I WILL BECOME MASTER UNDER THE RULE OF JENOVA! THIS IS THE DAWN BUT HEED MY WORDS AND BEWARE, THE DAY OF RECONING WILL SOON BE UPON YOU AND NONE OF YOU WILL SURVIVE IT! ALL WILL BE HOW MOTHER WANTS IT TO BE!"

Everyone in the room cringed at the insane rants and raves the silver haired man was giving off. Aeris hugged Zack's corps closer to her body. Barret tried his best to look angry but he couldn't help the slight fear that was invading his body. Tifa took a tentative step back, unsure of what would happen next. Red 13 stood his ground evenly, grimly prepared for anything that awaited him. Cloud, however, continued to glare at the man with hatred in his eyes. 

"I don't give a $hit about your plans or your mother! 'YOUR' day of reconing is coming sooner then you think Sephiroth!"

Once again, that arrogant grin formed on Sephiroth's lips. "I await the challenge. I have seen into your true being Cloud Strife! Your day of calling is soon approaching! Till next we meet!" 

Suddenly the room lit up in a flurry of brilliant light, blinding everyone. Cloud savagely opened his eyes against the bright light yet when everything was visible once more Sephiroth was gone. 

"Damnit!" Cloud seethed. He then trained his eyes on Zack's body once more and all the anger left him, quickly replaced by overwhelming grief. His steps faltered as he walked closer and closer towards painful reality. Reality that Zack was indeed very dead. 

Aeris was still sobbing softly, crying into the dead man's chest while she had him carefully perched up in her arms. Each sob forced Cloud's heart to contract painfully. Everything was hazy and Cloud couldn't discern where he was walking or why. Everything became a sudden void too great for him to comprehend anymore. He heard the soft voice of Tifa calling his name yet he could not answer. He didn't want to answer. He wanted to escape this painful world. He no longer wanted any part in it. Too much pain had seized him already. 

"…I couldn't save him… no matter how hard I tried…" Aeris continued ranting in a silent voice. Cloud continued to walk aimlessly until finally he plopped down in front of his dead friend. 

Tifa took a step towards Cloud, deep sympathy evident in her eyes. 

BRAPP BAP BAP BAP BAP

Suddenly the room was engulfed in a stream of intense bullet fire and Tifa ran as fast as she could towards Cloud and Aeris. Without a word of warning, the dark haired woman quickly rammed into them both knocking them out of the way right before that very spot was riddled with a barrage of bullets. 

Everyone else dodged for cover as well. Barret hefted his arm up in anger. "Damn! Just when you think Shinra's all finished! What the hell are they fighting for though? Their president's dead! It's all over!"

A smoke bomb flew into the room forcing Barret to run from cover, desperately heading towards another safety point.

Soon the room was covered with incoming bullets, smoke bombs and even explosive bombs began to raid the huge office building. 

"We've got to get out of here!" Red shouted above the blare of explosions and bullet fire.

"The entrance!" Tifa screamed. "They're attacking us from outside. If we take the stairs they won't be able to track us!"

"Let's do it!" Barret shouted, making a run for the exit. Red quickly followed, sprinting towards the double doors. Tifa spun back towards the two remaining members of the team, realizing they were still grieving over their lost friend, completely oblivious to what was happening around them. 

"Cloud! Aeris! We've got to get out of here! The whole place is going to be destroyed. We'll die if we stay here!"

Cloud turned his face away stubbornly. "I'm not leaving Zack."

Tifa glared in frustration. "What are you talking about Cloud? Are you just going to give up?"

Cloud said nothing but continued to keep his head lowered. Tifa was enraged at how stubborn they were being. "And what about you Aeris? Are you just going to give up too? Are you just going to give Shinra the satisfaction of winning?"

Aeris looked up towards Tifa with tear glazed eyes, still breathing heavily with anguish. "Tifa… I can't leave him. H- he would never leave us! I can't!"

Tifa placed a sympathetic hand on Aeris shoulder. "He's gone Aeris… let him go…"

Aeris didn't say anything. 

"Please Aeris! Zack would have wanted you to live. He would have wanted all of us to live. He died so that we wouldn't have to suffer by Sephiroth's hands. If you stay here now he will have died in vain."

Aeris looked down with sad eyes as she pondered the woman's words. "… What Zack would have wanted…?"

"Yes!" Tifa replied with relief that she was getting through to the green-eyed girl. She then trained her eyes towards Cloud who still stubbornly kept his head lowered. Tifa bit her lip then narrowed her eyes lightly. "I'm sorry Cloud but there's no other way…"

Cloud was slightly flustered by Tifa's comment and turned his head in question only to see a fist flying his way before everything suddenly when black.

Tifa eased Cloud over and hefted his limp form over her shoulder. Aeris was shocked speechless by what she had just seen. Tifa turned towards the girl and pointed towards Zack's discarded sword. "Get that! We might need it for our escape!"

Aeris slowly looked back towards Zack's still form. "Leave him!" Tifa replied. "He's dead and there's nothing more we can do. We can't afford to carry his weight on our own. We've got to go now!" 

Aeris silently wiped away the last of her tears then grabbed the dark haired man's sword and ran for the double doors their other team members had recently passed through.

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Author's note: _Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 25._


	25. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no profit from it. 

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 25

Cloud moaned groggily as he felt himself being rushed frantically down the hallways of the Shinra building. The blond man looked around in confusion wondering what was going on. Slowly he began to recollect his thoughts then suddenly he shot his head up and looked around frantically. 

"Oh god!" He screamed. "Where's Zack?!? Don't tell me we left without Zack???"

No one said anything as the continued to run faster down the hallways. Aeris lowered her head but said nothing. Tifa, who had been helping Barret carry Cloud down the hall's, shifted her face away slightly. "There wasn't any choice Cloud."

Cloud turned his head towards the young brunette haired woman. "How could you? Zack was my friend! Tifa how could you!?! We've gotta go back! We can't just-"

Suddenly, Tifa stopped in her downward sprint and clutched Cloud's shirt in her hands tightly forcing him back a few steps. "Tifa what are yo-"

"Shut up Cloud! Just shut the hell up! I didn't want to leave him behind ok?! No one did! But right now your acting like a royal jackass you know that? There was no other way! We had to leave him behind or else we would be dead too! That's not what Zack would have wanted! He would have wanted us to keep going! To move on! And that's what we're doing Cloud! That's what I'm trying to get you to do!"

Cloud blinked rapidly at the woman's sudden burst of anger and the tears that soon followed. "…Tifa…"

"Save it!" the woman said as she suddenly released him from her grasp then yanked his hand forward. "Let's just get going or we'll end up dead!"

Cloud could do nothing but comply and he ran faster to keep up with the others. Suddenly the wall's violently burst into flames around them. Apparently Shinra was trying to destroy the whole building simply to eliminate them. It made no sense to Cloud's mind. Why would they want to focus so much attention on such a small band of rebels? 

Another huge explosion went off a few yards ahead of them causing Barret and Red 13 to fall back, a few feet in front of them. 

"$hit!" Barret yelled in alarm. "They got the whole area blocked off! How the hell are we gonna get out now?" 

Tifa anxiously looked around for an alternate route. Soon everyone else joined in scanning their surroundings. Barret knocked on the walls checking to see if they were weak enough for him to blast through. Red 13 was using his heightened senses to try and sniff his way to some unknown escape tunnel or something of that sort. Even Aeris, who was still grieving over the recent tragedy, was now also trying to help everyone find a way out.

Cloud couldn't understand it. Why fight? Everything was lost… Zack was dead! DEAD! They couldn't survive. Zack was only the first to die. Soon they would all join him. They were only delaying the inevitable. 

__

'Why do they continue to resist!' Cloud screamed in his mind. _'It's hopeless! All hopeless.'_

__

'No…It's not hopeless…' A silent, nearly unnoticeable voice said in reply. He knew that voice. It was coming from the very depths of his soul. It was the same voice of reason he had heard during the day his life had been ruined my Sephiroth. Somehow, someway the platinum haired SOLDIER always found some way to ruin his life, to ruin his happiness. It wasn't fair. Why did things have to go this way?

Little by little, he continued to think in despair about all that had gone wrong in his life and surprisingly they all began to fall into the same place. As Cloud continued to sit there in his spot, he couldn't help the new rising sensation washing over him. Rapidly, his depression soon turned over into anger and rage. Suddenly it all made sense to him. He knew why Tifa and Aeris and the others were trying to get out. He knew why they still fought. He knew why, even with the last of their strength, they still clung to desperate life. 

Cloud knew now what he had to do. If anything, he had to live on to defeat Sephiroth. The least he could do was to rid humanity of the evil threat that was Sephiroth. At least then no one else would ever have to suffer the same way he was forced to suffer. That was what Zack died for and if need be, that would be what he too would die for. Even if it took the very essence from him, he would make sure Sephiroth died. That was his purpose. 

Cloud quickly snapped his eyes open, unbeknownst to him, they began glowing with that familiar green glow more then usual. Cloud looked around anxiously like the others were then walked over towards a nearby window. Suddenly he found their exit. 

Cloud dashed away from the rest of the group at a rapid speed. 

"Cloud!" Tifa called after him as she saw the man run off. "Cloud where are you going?" Panic was beginning to rise in the young brunette haired girl's heart. Had the trauma of losing his friend been too much for him? Had he finally snapped and was now trying to run away from reality? Tifa couldn't bare it. Cloud was and would always be the only one who could understand her. They had both gone through so much, she couldn't bare to lose him when they had just recently found one another again. Tifa ran after the blond haired man as fast as she could. 

"Cloud please stop!"

"Where are they going?" Barret asked rhetorically as he continued to scan the area searching for a way out. 

Aeris stood quietly watching as Tifa and Cloud ran off. It pained her heart but she knew this was something only Tifa could help Cloud deal with. "Just let them go Barret… They'll be back."

Barret grumbled something under his breath but nodded his acceptance then continued his search.

****

Cloud finished the run towards his destination on the upper floor then nodded his head with a satisfied grin on his face. "This is our last option." He said to himself absent-mindedly. 

"What's our last option?" Came a voice from behind, startling the blond haired man from his thoughts. "Cloud what are you talking about?"

Cloud turned to face Tifa yet the expression on his face brought fresh relief and uncertain dread to her heart at the same time. His face was determined, yet for some reason that was all she saw there, Determination and nothing else. 

"Cloud?"

Cloud rushed up towards Tifa and grasped her shoulders in his arms. "Tifa, I'm glad you're here. Round up the others. Get them to this floor. You remember those vehicles we saw when we passed by this area before right?"

"…Yeah…I think so."  


"Excellent! Look; just trust me on this. I want you to get the others and start up the motors on the truck we saw. I'll be waiting there for you. Don't worry, we'll get out of this building yet!"

Tifa didn't know what to say. Cloud definitely had a plan but something about him unnerved her for some reason. Despite her feelings however, Tifa nodded her head briskly. "Ok Cloud. I don't know what you've got planned but I'll do it."

Tifa turned around to head towards the others but stopped at the last second. She turned back slightly and placed her hand lightly on the man's shoulder. "Just…just be careful alright?"

Cloud nodded lightly, still with that determined expression on his face yet Tifa thought she saw the slight glimmer of compassion flash across his eyes, if only for a split second. 

"I'll be fine Tifa, just get going."

Without another word Tifa ran at full speed back towards the rest of the group. 

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::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Author's note: _Ok I know this chapter was pretty short and it probably kinda sucked in its own way too. I apologize for that but I'll put the next chapter out soon. As always, thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 26._


	26. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it. 

****

SHARDS COLLIDE

CHAPTER 26

A relieved smile rose to Aeris face when she saw Tifa's nimble form rushing back towards her and the rest of the group. However that smile quickly died when she realized Cloud wasn't following her. The building was dangerously unstable now and with each minute that passed they felt the terrible shaking of the support beams below giving way as the massive structure prepared for its inevitable fall. 

"Tifa where's Cloud?" She asked, rushing up to the dark haired woman. 

"Everyone listen up!" Tifa said, eyes dancing with frantic anxiety. "Cloud's got a plan. He wants all of us to go up to the second floor."

"What?" Barret shouted in surprise and disbelief. "What do you mean go up? We'll only screw ourselves over more if we go up! What the hell is that spiky haired little bastard thinking?"

"Look Barret there isn't any time to explain. Lets just do it ok?"

"What and go to an early grave by putting our trust in some mercenary who's obsessed with dying cause his friend got wasted?"

This earned an angry glare from both women and Tifa had to speak in controlled tones to keep her anger in check. "Look… Barret… Just shut up and get to the next floor! If you have problems with Cloud's decision, take it up with him when we get there! As for right now, we don't have time for a debate."

Barret mulled over his decision but suddenly felt a rough nudge on his leg. He looked down to see Red 13 hitting him with his tail. "Don't think about the consequences, just do it!" The red tiger said, shoving the dark man even more. "We don't have time for idle thought!" 

Barret paused for a second then nodded angrily. "Fine, let's go. But when we get there you better believe I'm gonna have words with that blond haired punk."

Not responding to his macho display of giving in, Tifa rushed up towards the nearby flight of stairs. Everyone else quickly followed after her, Barret being the last to go. Tifa ran as fast as she could and within a matter of seconds they were nearly at the auto department on that floor. Tifa heard the sounds of engines revving up. 

Once they turned the corner towards the auto display they all gasped slightly in surprise.

"Oh you have got to be f#cking kidding me!" Barret said angrily. "There's no way I'm agreeing to this."

"Cloud?" Tifa asked nervously. 

Cloud, now seated atop a Shinra advanced, tactics motorcycle, looked back towards his companions with a sharp glare in his eyes. "There's no time for questions. Look the only way out is by busting through that window over there. If we time it just right, we should be able to make it to that bridge below. Otherwise we'll be trapped in this building until it blows up. Either do or die! Trust me guys… we'll make it!"

Tifa was silent for a moment then nodded slowly. "…Ok, I trust you Cloud."

"Me too." Aeris nodded, running towards the nearby truck. Tifa got behind the driver's wheel and started the engine's while Red13 jumped into the back. At the last second she noticed Barret was still lagging behind with a scowl on his face.

"Barret get in the damn truck right now!" She screamed. 

Barret looked away stubbornly. 

"Damnit Barret, this isn't the time to be stubborn. If you want to die fine but don't forget about the responsibility you owe to Marlene! Your daughter!"

Something indescribable flashed across the dark man's eyes and he grudgingly ran towards the truck, hopping into the back compartment alongside Red13.

Cloud revved his engines loudly, his bike shaking beneath him until he knew the engines couldn't take it anymore. At the last minute, he let go of the brakes and the cycle roared down the halls crashing through the windows. The blond haired merc could feel the winds beating on his face and the exhilaration was breathtaking. Cloud prepared himself and suddenly his tires crashed down hard against the solid concrete of the streets below. Not long after, the truck followed, hitting the pavement more recklessly then the bike but efficient none the less. 

Cloud continued to ride at maximum speed, pushing his engines to the limit. He heard the loud sounds coming from the distance and he pushed his engines even more. 

****

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

The force was enough to push his bike even further down the streets yet this time he was flying at an odd angle. The bike curved and suddenly he was tipping over from the impact. 

__

'Shit' Cloud's mind reeled as he tried to figure out a way out of this. He angled his body the other way as hard as he could, leaning Zack's buster sword with the rest of his weight. At the last possible second the impossible happened and his bike straightened itself out, once more riding smoothly on the concrete. Cloud sighed in relief then looked back in time to see the very top of the Shinra building engulfed in flames and explosions. The very same floor they had left Zack's body in was now alight in flames and debris. Now Zack truly was gone. 

Cloud shut his eyes tightly, not wanting to think about it right now. He looked towards the truck, now trying its best to drive along side him. He could tell it took some damage from the explosion as the rear fender was falling off and the expression on Barret's face was proof enough that the man was sufficiently shaken up. Cloud could see, from the expression on her face through the windshield, that Aeris too had been thinking about Zack when they saw the top floor of the Shinra building alight in flames. 

__

'I'm sorry my friend. There was nothing I could do.' 

Cloud sped up a bit, now determined to get out of this hellish city. Suddenly a new noise invaded his sense. A noise he knew all to well. 

"Shit!" He seethed. "Could anything else possible go wrong?"

A squad of Shinra squad vehicles quickly sped their way. Cloud revved his engines more then signaled a thumbs up to Tifa telling her he would take out some while they got any that slipped through. Tifa nodded and then Cloud broke off from the rest, decelerating so that the Shinra's could catch him first. 

Two Squad cycles came his way. A small grin rose up to Cloud's face as he unsheathed Zack's buster sword. He veered right suddenly, ramming into one of the Squad motorcycles then drove the sword deep into the machine's gas tank. The man sped out of control. Cloud accelerated a bit as his vehicle crashed into his partners blowing them up in a huge ball of flames and fire. 

Cloud sighed in relief at the unexpected turn of events. The fire had effectively cut off the rest of the group. Suddenly bullets rained down on his position and he hit the engines once more. "Damn… forgot all about the helicopters!" 

Cloud lined up with the truck, riding close enough so that he could talk with them. "They'll have us pinned with those damn helicopters. We gotta lose 'em somehow! Barret do you think you can target them with your gattling gun?"

In response, the dark man stood up shakily as the vehicle swerved left and right. "I'll do my part!" He said, a hint of nervousness in his voice. "You just make us a way out of here." And with that the big man opened fire on the helicopters. To Cloud's surprise, he didn't miss a target and one by one, each of the helicopters began falling rapidly from the skies. Cloud had to give the man credit. He was efficient in his work. 

Cloud narrowed his eyes, prepared to uphold his side of the bargain. He accelerated until he was a ways ahead of his companions. Just as he had suspected, more Shinra vehicles were heading towards them from the front. Cloud smiled at their stupidity. Their cycles were bulky and more flashy then maneuverable. Cloud had them beat. He rode up to them then extended his sword arm out. 

He zipped by one cycle, slicing its rider in half with the buster sword. He then veered left at an angle, arching his sword low then yanked it up and forward swiftly, tearing away the next man's tire. The rest of the Shinra riders pulled out their automatics, intending to take the blond haired man out from afar. Cloud put the petal to the metal and twirled his sword in front of him until it was whirling around in rapid circles. The bullets penetrated the sword but were deflected by the makeshift shield. 

Cloud continued this until he was close enough. At the last second, he stopped the flow of his blade then thrust it forward impaling the first man through the face. Not wasting a second, he forcefully ripped the sword free then swung it across his other side decapitation the second man. Now there was only one soldier left. This man knew he didn't have a chance with an automatic as he quickly pulled out his own sword. His bike was positioned in front of where the bridge cut off and Cloud knew that was where he needed to be.

Cloud brought his bike to a complete stop as he saw the man in front. His opponent did the same. Cloud smirked wickedly. _'So it's a duel then.'_

Each fighter revved his engines to the bursting point. Cloud released the throttled and sped towards his opponent. The Shinra guard did the same. Each man headed towards the other with his sword extended. Suddenly Cloud clutched the brakes, skidding to a slanted stop right in front of his adversary. The man was shocked out of his mind and tried to brake as well but this only threw him deeper into Cloud's plan. The Blond released his brake at the last second and shot off to the side wildly but not before he swung his sword across taking the man out when he passed by. 

Cloud stopped again, surveying his work as the now dead body rode atop the still moving motorcycle until the machine fell over depositing its lifeless resident. 

Soon the truck came into view and Cloud smiled once more. He knocked the kickstand out and got off his bike as the truck came to a complete stop in front of him. Tifa rushed out of the front seat towards him while Aeris lagged behind a bit, casting a healing spell on Barret's arm. Red13 also walked up towards the blond man. 

"What happened to him?" Cloud asked throwing his thumb towards Barret.

"He took a shot in the arm from one of those helicopters. It's nothing serious."

Cloud nodded slowly. "I think we lost them. But there's no way of knowing how long that'll last. I suggest we get to the lower levels and hightail it out of this city as fast as we can."

"But the bridge cuts off. How will we get there without having to backtrack down the road we came from?"

Cloud looked out towards the horizons then trained his eyes downwards. "It's not too far of a drop below. If we can get some rope we can shimmy our way down."

Tifa shivered. "All the way down there? By rope?"

Cloud shrugged nonchalantly. "There's really no other option left to us."

"I saw some rope in the truck." Aeris offered as she was now walking towards them. Barret's arm was now completely healed. "It's long enough I think. If we use that we can get down to ground level easily."

Cloud nodded. "Great. Let's get to it then. Barret is your arm in working order."

Barret nodded sagely. "Don't worry about me. Thanks to the healer over there, I'll be alright."

Cloud gave a crisp nod then walked over to the rope. "Good. Help me get this cord tied up then."

****

In no time at all they all finished their trek down to the bottom of the rope and reached the entrance of Midgar. Tifa, Red and Barret began discussing the next step to take. 

Cloud simply looked across the horizons, the familiar scene of the entrance of Midgar bringing back memories of a time not too long ago. 

Aeris walked up next to him. "I still can't believe it you know?"

Cloud glanced at her holding his gaze on her eyes. "Yeah… I know what you mean."

Aeris turned her gaze skyward, watching the horizon as the sun began to set. "…I miss him…I wish things could have been different…"

Cloud closed his eyes softly allowing the winds to brush across his face. "Me too… He was my best friend… more then a friend, he was like a brother to me. And now he's gone."

Aeris head fell in sadness. "…He told me something once…something about letting things be. Whatever happens happens. I… I think he would have wanted us to move on. I don't think he would have liked to see us like this."

"I know…" Cloud said softly. "He was that kind of guy…" Cloud was preparing to say more when suddenly Tifa, Barret and Red13 all walked up to them. 

"So… what's our next move?" Tifa asked timidly. "Barret says we should move on towards Cosmo Cayon. He says he needs to pay his respects to his lost companions and that's the best place to do it at."

Cloud nodded. "That sounds good but I'm afraid I wont have too much time for mourning yet. Sephiroth said something about helping his mother in destroying the world. I'm going to track him down first and then deal with the other business later."

"Revenge huh?" Barret asked skeptically.

Cloud looked at the dark man for a moment then shook his head slowly. "I want to say yes but this goes far beyond revenge. There's something about his presence. Whatever he's planning, we can't take it lightly…"

Barret turned his eyes skyward. "… I guess your right. For the most part, Shinra's finished. But my mission's not over. If Sephiroth is threatening the planet then he's my new enemy. I'm going with you."

"I'm with you all the way too Cloud." Aeris said. "I have nowhere else to go you know… and beside, I want to make Sephiroth pay for what he did too."

Cloud nodded his thanks and smiled slightly. "Tifa?"

"You know I'm with you. We're life long friends remember? There's no way I'm letting you out of my sights."

"I've decided to travel along with you as well."

Cloud turned with surprised eyes. "Red? I don't know what to say. I'm surprised you want to come. You really don't have any stake in any of this."

Red sighed in his own rugged way then shrugged. "I'll follow you as far as Cosmo Canyon."

Cloud nodded. "Good enough. Thanks for the help."

"'Course we need a leader!" Barret chirped in. "I guess I'll be taking charge."

"I really doubt that…" Red13 said under his breath.

Barret shot the red tiger a glare. 

"Actually… I agree with Red." Said Aeris. "I think Cloud's a much better leader for the job."

"I second that." Tifa said. 

Barret scoffed but said nothing more.

"I guess it's settled then." Cloud said, somewhat flustered by the majority decision.

"So where to now?" Aeris asked. "Where do we start looking."

Cloud shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine… but it think…we might find some clues in the place where this whole nightmare with Sephiroth all began."

Tifa gasped slightly. "You mean…"

Cloud nodded sagely. "Yeah… next stop is Neibleheim…"

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Author's note: _Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for 'THE END'??? Find out more in the next installment._


	27. Default Chapter Title

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SHARDS COLLIDE: EPILOGUE

Yeah I know you all must be thinking what the hell? He didn't even finish the story. Well to answer that question, yes and no. Shards Collide was only meant to knock things into first gear pretty much. Don't worry though, this is definitely not the end of my story. Much more to come soon! Provided, it may not be out until the end of next week because I have finals, suffice to say it 'WILL' definitely be out afterwards. Basically it will focus around their search for Sephiroth. Of course things will naturally veer off course. A little bit more about Aeris past and stuff and even some stuff involving the Sephiroth clones. I really felt they didn't get the attention they deserved in the game. And more importantly, Vincent, and Cid make their entrance. Of course lets not forget about our favorite materia thief and Cait Sith the resident moogle. They too will make their way into the story. I know what you're probably all thinking now. Oh gosh not another rewrite of the game fanfic. Err… to respond to that I'll just say there will definitely be some strong similarities but at the same time there will definitely be some differences too. At least that's what I'm shooting for. Well… time will tell I guess.

At this time I would like to send all of you many many many thanks for reading and reviewing my story. At the beginning, I honestly didn't think anyone would like it that much. I'm really flattered beyond belief and I can't begin to tell you all how ever thankful I am to you for giving me feed back and telling me what you thought of my story. And for all of you who didn't review my story but still read it, I want to thank you all just as well! I really couldn't go on with the fic had it not been for your support. Well then now I'd like to take this time…To personally thank every person who's reviewed my fic. I would thank all the readers yet if you've never reviewed I have no way of knowing who it is. But none the less you have my gratitude and deep thanks. 

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-B.Braswell your words are always a huge support for me and you always seem to be one of the constant individuals to review my stories. It's truly an honor to be reviewed by you. Thank you very much. 

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-Rika j you've been supporting me from beginning till end and you always seem to have something to say that influences me to try and shoot for a better chapter after each previous one was completed. Your words of confidence and support mean a lot to me! Really! Thanks a bunch!

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-Yuff Puff you're words of inspiration have been truly invaluable and one of the strongest factors on what kept me writing this fanfic. 

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-Lena I've greatly appreciated your supportive comments and they have even helped me to develop the story more. I really owe ya one for that. You have my thanks!

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-Akira Silveracious Majere you're comments have also been greatly appreciated! I'm glad you like my story. It's people out there like you who give me great pleasure in writing more storys. (Cool name by the way.)

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-Nanaki Lioness what can I say. It's always a pleasure. You've helped me start off in my fanfic writing by posting my other fic. To have you reviewing and enjoying my new fanfic now is a complete honor and joy. I'm in your debt! Thank you very much! 

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-Volante Fenice you are another supporter whose had a great effect on how fast I put my chapters out. I greatly appreciate your comments. You rock man!

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-Ah-choo I've enjoyed your comments and you've made it fun for me to release certain chapters. I hope you liked it.

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-Chris dark cloak Thanks for the review, you are among those who've helped to encourage me to keep on writing on this story! Thanks!

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-Mako eyez I appreciate your encouraging words. I'll try my best to keep true to form and get everything out in a satisfactory way I greatly appreciate your reviews!

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-Saikii thanks a whole lot for your comments. You've added so much depth to your reviews it was such a pleasure reading them and Im glad you liked my chapters! You helped boost my confidence in the chapters I thought weren't written so well. Thanks!

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-Britney vbabe thanks for the reviews! I hope my chapters were able to keep your reading interest! I'm glad you reviewed!

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-Tiger thank you for your reviews. I've really enjoyed reading them and I hope you liked the chapters. You are also involved in helping me to keep on writing. And to answer your question as to how long this fanfic is the answer is… I honestly don't know. Sorry. But I'm planning on making it a trilogy. At least that's the plan but I can't make any promises.

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-Sniper thanks for your reviews and the encouragement!. I'm glad you were so interested in my story. Thanks!

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-yep thanks for your reviews! I really appreciate them! 

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-Junior Trojan Thanks for the words of advice. Although I doubt my writing is anywhere close to game material I appreciate your supportive words none the less and am glad you enjoyed my storys.

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-Rei thanks for reviewing! So you haven't played ff7 yet? Well I hope I'm not spoiling things for you too much. Thanks for reading and reviewing though. You've got my gratitude! 

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-Cloud you have also been one of those constant reviewers who's stuck with the story and reviewed a lot. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It really makes my day when old reviewers continue to return and review my storys! (and I'm not just saying that because your name is Cloud either!) lol joking but seriously Thanks a lot Buddy!

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-Senshi Saturn Hotaru thanks a lot for your comments. I really enjoyed reading them and I hope you continued to enjoy my chapters! It's a pleasure writing for ya! Thanks!

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-Princess Pepsi thanks a bunch for the reviews! I'm glad you liked it! 

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-Frozen Flame I'm glad you enjoyed my fics and thanks for reviewing. It was my pleasure to be able to write something that was (hopefully) enjoyable like this! Thanks!

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-Flesh-N-Bone Thanks for the review's man! I hope you found the different plot points and twists to your liking! I'm glad you enjoyed the fic! Thanks!

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-Henrick Rules Thanks for reviewing! Glad you liked it!

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-//_- Thanks for reading and reviewing! Your comments made me want to write even faster. I'm glad you liked my storys. I hope you like my second series just as much! Thanks for the reviews! 

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-ScaRR Thanks for reviewing! If you liked Reno so far, stay tuned, I'm not done with the red haired Turk just yet. Thanks for reading and reviewing! It means a lot! 

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-Sage thanks a lot for the review, I'll try to get my chapters out faster and with more action packed stuff! Thanks for reviewing and reading. I greatly appreciate it! 

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-Mimi Blossoms I really must thank you. You've added so much depth into your reviews it made writing each chapter even more of a thrill. Thank you for the compliments and motivation. You have my gratitude!

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-Lone Dragon thanks for reviewing. I'm glad you like my storys and very glad you reviewed! Your words are a big support! Thanks!

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-Jennifer ever zero thanks for reviewing and thanks for the compliments as well! I'm really grateful for your supportive words! Thanks you!

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-Cloud and Aeris thanks for reviewing and reading. I'm happy you enjoyed it and your comments are a great support! Thanks!

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-Christi thanks for reviewing! I appreciate it and it helps remind me that I'm doing something right and that I should keep going! Thanks!

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-Chi thanks a bunch! I'm really glad you liked my fic so much and it was a great pleasure when you asked if you could host my fics at your site. Thanks a lot! You have my gratitude!

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-Kje thanks for reading and posting my fic at your site as well. It was also a great pleasure having my story posted by you too! I really appreciate it. Thanks a bunch!

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-Inspiring Author nice name. You've inspired me more with your reviews. Thanks a lot for the reviews and I appreciate them! Don't worry about the whole not reviewing before hand thing. I'm just glad you 'did' review. It makes me happier knowing that you like my story. Thanks!

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-Katiko Selphie I'm glad you reviewed my fic and I hope you got your stories to work right. You have all the good wishes and support from me! Thanks for reviewing! 

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-Gurgiham Thanks for the reviews and comments. I really don't think my writing is that good but thank you anyway. I'm grateful for your support! 

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-Killiko jun-chan thank you for reviewing and it's a great pleasure to dish out the chapters for ya. I'm happy you enjoyed them! Thank you for your supporting words! 

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-!!!!!! Thanks for reviewing, I'm glad you liked my story! 

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-Snow Angel thank you for reviewing and im glad you enjoyed the story! 

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-Sweetevil thanks for reviewing! I hope you've enjoyed what I've been doing with Aeris character thus far and im going to try to compound upon it more later. Im glad you liked my story. Thanks for the encouragement!

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-Vincent Valentine thanks for reviewing! Im glad you liked it. (cool name too!)

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-Aeris lover thanks for reviewing and I hope you've enjoyed the fic! Thanks!

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-Mystasia thanks for the comments! Your words made me want to write even faster if possible. Thanks a lot! 

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-Jennifer Gainsbourough thanks for the reviews and sorry about the scare with Cloud. Hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed reading your response. Thanks! 

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-420 thanks for the reviews. Im very glad you liked it! 

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-OutKast Thanks for the words of encouragement and thanks for reviewing. 

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-Sky thanks for the support and reviews. I'm truly grateful. Thanks!

And that concludes everyone who's ever reviewed my Shards Collide fanfic. Once again I must convey how thankful I am to you all for reading. You are truly all that kept me going on this fic and Im very happy to have been able to be reviewed by you all. I find myself very lucky to be able to know you all even if only through reviews. I thank you all for reading and reviewing my story and I hope that you will continue reading my other series. Thank you so much. And if there was anyone I missed I deeply apologize for it. Once again I thank EVERYONE who's read my story even if they haven't reviewed. Thank you (x infinity)……..(plus 2). Anyway, Its been fun and I hope to have the next chapter out in less then a week! Thanks! ^_^

-Cordis 


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